NASBO welcomes SKM proposal for BL Development Board

GANGTOK, 07 Feb: National Sikkimese Bhutia Organisation [NASBO] has welcomed the recent declaration by the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha [SKM] made at its Jorethang meeting on the formation of a Bhutia Lepcha Development Board in the event that it forms the Government.

SKM, in its pre-election manifesto, has said that it would set up a Bhutia Lepcha Development Board “for the all-round progress and development of the Bhutia-Lepcha communities”. The State, it may be recalled, already has a Primitive Tribe Group Development Board. Only the Lepchas are recognized as a PTG in Sikkim at present.

As per a NASBO press release, in a meeting of the organization’s new executive committee held today it was suggested that the Bhutia-Lepcha Development “Council” be constituted much “on the lines of the National Advisory Council at the centre which will be the main forum having legislative and executive powers on formulating and implementing policies and programmes pertaining to the Sikkimese BLs.”

“We appreciate and applaud the initiatives taken by the SKM Party in the greater interest of the all round development of the Sikkimese BLs. Further, we want comprehensive development of all the Sikkimese people”, the release states.

The meeting, presided over by NASBO president, Pintso Bhutia, took note of its future course of actions and further decided to re-constitute all its district and zonal committees. NASBO’s founder president, it may be recalled, had resigned from the organization and joined SKM during its foundation day celebrations in Jorethang on 04 Feb.