CM and colleagues submit details of assets and sources of income to Patra Commission

GANGTOK, 28 May: The Chief Minister along with twelve sitting and former Ministers and MLAs have submitted their response to the corruption allegations leveled against them by the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee in its booklet ‘Mahaloot in Sikkim’ along with details of material assets and sources of income to the state government appointed Justice (Rtd.) RK Patra Inquiry Commission here at his office near Tashiling Secretariat today.
SPCC’s ‘Mahaloot in Sikkim’ had made various allegations of corruption during the 16 years of rule of the Sikkim Democratic Front government in the state. The Patra Commission was then instituted to enquire into the allegations.
Earlier this year, Justice (Rtd.) R K Patra Commission had issued summons to the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) directing them to appear before the Commission with all the documentary evidence to support their allegations.
However, members of the SPCC including the party president Nar Bahadur Bhandari, congress youth leader, Avinash Yakha and two others had refused to appear before Justice (Rtd) Patra to give their depositions.
The Patra Commission will begin its hearing after examining the documents related to the sources of income and allegations made in the Congress booklet.
It may mentioned here that the State Government had called a special session of the Assembly on 10 January last year and passed a resolution to hand over the case to Justice (Rtd.) R K Patra, former Chief Justice of Sikkim who also holds the post of the Law Commissioner of Sikkim.