Sikkim government bars its employees from joining any association

SNS, Gangtok, 19 June 2014: Sikkim government employees holding posts in any association or organisations will soon be history. According to a state government circular issued on Monday, government employees will be allowed to be a member of any association. Department of Personnel, in its circular cited Rule 7 of Sikkim Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1981 superseding all permissions granted to the government employees to take up membership of any associations.

The diktat comes two decades after the Pawan Chamling government banked on government employees to influence associations as officer bearers. Not only this, most organisation having bureaucrats as leaders had been instrumental in fulfilling Chamling’s political motives as well.

Interestingly, the circular comes after the Chamling led SDF winning 22 out of 32 seats in the recent assembly election. Then government employees were allegedly tagged as opposition SKM supporters who voted and chipped funds for the party. The prohibition now is seen as an attempt to bar employees from political activities and throttle dissent.Administrative experts unwilling to be named termed the circular as ‘undemocratic’ as association is the very basis of civic rights in a democracy. "Let’s see whether government employees engrossed in various associations quit or continue to enjoy the regime’s blessing," they added.Whether members of various community, caste, spiritual, literary or athletic organisations occupying key positions in the state will quit membership or not remains the million dollar question as the circular has come into force with immediate effect.