Ahluwalia raises IT exemption issue in Parliament

GANGTOK, 13 Feb: The demand for equal status by the members of the old business community of the state has now echoed in the halls of Parliament as well with BJP Member of Parliament, SS Ahluwalia having taken up the issue and spoken on it in the Rajya Sabha. The MP from Jharkand, is informed to have spoken on the issue and in support of the demand for equal status as raised by Prem Goyal of the Nagarik Sangarsh Samiti in December, 2011. The NSS has been demanding equal status in all matters and issues for all those who have been residing in the state of Sikkim prior to April, 1975. The demand for income tax exemption is included in this larger and all encompassing demand for equal status.
It is reported that his in speech in the Upper House the BJP MP raised the issue of discrimination between Indian citizens whose names were registered in the Sikkim Subjects Register and the Indian citizens residing in Sikkim prior to 1975 but did not register themselves in the Register as that would tantamount to dual citizenship and violation of Indian law. Saying that the government had deprived all non Sikkimese from IT exemption he highlighted that this category had been making appeals for the end of this discrimination.
He appealed to the Finance Minister to withdraw the ‘injustice’ immediately and further highlighted that this community, which was small in number, are a part of Sikkim and proud Sikkimese and justice should be done to them.
The Union Finance Minister, Pranb Mukherjee replied that he had been receiving representations and that he was looking into it.
It may be mentioned here that this issue and demand of equal status for all those residing in Sikkim prior to April 1975, that is the Merger,  - including the Old Business Community - had been forwarded as a petition by the Prem Goyal led Nagarik Sangharsh Samiti to the Petitions’ Committee of the Rajya Sabha. This matter is under due consideration of the Committee and in fact the Committee was due to visit the state for a ‘public hearing ‘ in September 2011; this visit had to be re-scheduled due to the earthquake of 18 September.  The visit is pending and once the public hearing is conducted in Sikkim the Committee is expected to put up its final report.