North East News Agency

All the elected representatives of Sikkim under the leadership of Chief Minister Pawan Chamling have submitted a memorandum recently to Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh requesting him  to take urgent steps to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people of Sikkim.

In a 10-point memorandum elected representatives of Sikkim have urged the Centre to consider the demands at the earliest. The demands are reservation of seats for Limboo and Tamang communities in Sikkim Assembly; protection of 12 seats reserved for the Bhutia-Lepcha communities in the Assembly; recognition of Lepchas as most primitive tribe; increase in the total number of seats in the Assembly; enlistment of remaining ethnic communities like Kirat, Khambi, Rai, Gurung, Mangar, Sunuwar, Thami, Dewan and Bhujel as scheduled tribes; inclusion of Bahun, Chetri and Newar communities declared as other backward classes (OBC)under State Government notification as OBC under Central Government notification; direct tax laws; construction of an airport at Pakyong; setting up of a Central university and evacuation of   power for maximum number of Hydel schemes.

Presenting a strong case for setting up of a Central University in the State, the memorandum says that “Human resource development is one of the sectors the State Government considers a priority sector in the State because we believe that enlightened citizens will not only prove to be assets for progress and development of the State and the country, but in the context of a State like Sikkim, they become catalysts in the process of national integration. In addition to plan funds provided by the Central Government, considerable portion of the State’s resources are earmarked towards this sector. As a result there is a great deal of progress and development in providing the necessary infrastructure for schools and technical education. However, what is seriously lacking in the State is institution of higher learning. Due to lack of facilities for post-graduate studies in the State, majority of the students do not get opportunities to pursue higher studies and it has remained a far cry for the youths of the State.”

Arguing that the State need an airport badly, the memorandum says, “the only link for the State to the rest of the country is the congested 31 A national highway where traffic movement is often disturbed by frequent strikes called in the neighbouring State and also natural disasters. The State Government has already submitted DPR to Government of India for construction of an airport at Pakyong in East Sikkim. The State Government had assigned this project to the Airport Authority of India. The DPR prepared by AAI envisaging an investment of Rs. 339 crore has already been submitted  for sanction to Government of India. We, therefore, request for   providing a sum of Rs. 250 crore by the Centre for establishing an airport in the State.”

The memorandum also says “Apart from Tourism, power generation is the only viable, pollution free source of economical sustenance for the State as it posses huge water resources and potential for hydel power generation.

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