Being in power, Golay confident of winning all 32 seats in Sikkim in 2024

Announces OROP for government employees, enhanced 4 pc DA 

SUJAL PRADHAN, EOI, GANGTOK, 15 SEPTEMBER 2023 : Ahead of the 2024 general election in Sikkim, more than 1,300 people from various opposition parties and sitting zilla and gram panchayat members from Barfung and adjoining areas joined the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha in a mass joining programme held at Ravangla, in the Namchi district, on Frday. 

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang welcomed the new members into the party. “From today you are a part of the SKM,” the Chief Minister said. 

“We have served impartially. I appeal to the party workers to embrace the new members, not to have conservative thoughts. We should target to win all the 32 assembly seats. That should be the attitude.” 

At the SKM party event, Golay refused to criticize opposition parties, claiming: “We don’t need to criticize the opposition parties to win all the 32 assembly seats in 2024. Every opposition leader is weaker than me, so why criticize them? Running as the opposition party in the 2019 election, we won in 17 constituencies. 

Now with the government and the machinery, we are certain to win all 32 seats.” He said the party candidates would not be maned now. “Declaring a candidate now will create groupism which is against my principle of inclusive politics, involving everyone irrespective of party affiliation,” he said. “The SKM symbol ‘table lamp’ will be the only candidate for every constituency.” 

Without naming Bhaichung Bhutia, Golay said: “Doesn’t matter who joins where or where they may have contested before. They were in opposition in 2019, they will be in opposition in 2024. He is eyeing the Barfung constituency for a ticket, but he is a failed politician in two states. He has joined hands with someone who had criticized him the most and he had declared him in the past as the most corrupt. He was not with us in 2019. 

At the event, the Chief Minister also announced a substantial increase in dearness allowance for State Government employees, from 38 percent to 42 percent. The enhanced DA would come into effect from January 2023. 

Earlier on September 11, the Chief Minister announced the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. Taking a cue from the defence, he also announced a One Rank One Pension scheme. Under this, a retired officer from 1994 would get as much DA as a retired officer from 2023 of the same rank. He also announced that the One Family One Job scheme would be regularized soon.