Bhutia party lines up Delhi dharna

RAJEEV RAVIDAS, TT, 04 Jan 2019, Gangtok: The Hamro Sikkim Party has decided to stage a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on January 7 in support of its four-point demand, including the entry of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe corruption cases in the state.

HSP leader and former footballer Bhaichung Bhutia said here on Thursday that the other objectives of the day-long dharna was to pressurise the central government to reserve seats in the Sikkim Assembly for the members of the Limbu and Tamang communities, restore reservation of seats in the Assembly for Nepalispeaking community, and grant tribal status to 11 left out Nepali communities.

"One of the major issues we want to highlight is the massive corruption that is taking place in the politic class in Sikkim. We want the CBI to be allowed in to investigate corruption cases," said Bhutia.

He insinuated that the recent incident of fire in the record section of the power department was a deliberate act to obliterate evidence of alleg- Bhaichung Bhutia ed corruption in the power sector.

CBI cannot carry out probe in Sikkim without the prior permission of the state government. In a gazette notification issued in July 2010, the state government had made it mandatory for the CBI to seek its prior consent before taking up investigations against any of its officers or public representatives.

Opposition parties in the state allege that the notification was brought about to protect Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling from his alleged acts of corruption. In fact, P. S. Golay, the president of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, which is the main opposition party in the state, had challenged the notification in the Sikkim High Court, but his plea was rejected.

Bhutia accused Chamling of failing to secure Limbu-Tamang and Nepali seats and tribal status to the 11 Nepali communities despite repeated promises.

"The government keeps talking about these issues, but has failed to deliver them. We want to raise these issues, and deliver them over the next few years," he said..