Chamling vs Goley debate intensifies budget proceedings

THE GLOVES COME OFF

ANAND OBEROI
GANGTOK, 26 June: With the dissident SDF MLA PS Tamang finally attending the Assembly proceedings, the House saw its first confrontational debate of the fourth term of the SDF Government today with the Upper Burtuk MLA refusing to endorse the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address moved by the Chief Minister. He spoke for around 45 minutes delving on the points in the Governor’s address he had issues with and the Chief Minister, in his rebuttal and concluding remarks, spoke extempore for nearly two hours addressing every point raised by his former Cabinet colleague.
“The manner in which Prem Singh Goley has opposed the Governor’s address by resorting to fabrications and white lies, shows his defiance towards the Indian Constitution and the Parliamentary form of government. This is an un-democratic move by the member since he has violated the decorum that is to be maintained in the Assembly. I condemn every part of his speech and ask him to apologize to the House,” began Chief Minister Pawan Chamling in his reply to the discussions held before the Motion of Thanks on the Governor’s address was passed by the Sikkim Legislative Assembly today.
Mr. Tamang was the only member who disapproved of the Governor’s address during the discussions on the motion of tanks in which five other members were allowed to participate by the Speaker owing to time constraints in the house.
The three-time minister and fourth time SDF MLA had come prepared with written notes to challenge various points in the Governor’s address. He put forward his views while stating that the SDF government was diverting from its very agenda of a pro-poor people’s party. He said, “SDF has now become the party of the elite and the rich. Politics is being played by the corrupt in the name of the poor who are actually being used selfishly by the SDF.”
He contested the data on GDP growth and BPL numbers put forward in the Governor’s address, arguing that these did not tally with the figures and data released by different agencies such as National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the state government’s Food Security Department, MGNREGA and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
“There are different reports and statistics that suggest otherwise, so on what basis are these claims being made? Either these reports are all false or someone is misinformed. Infact, the GDP has gone down and the BPL along with the urban poor have been deprived of their rights in Sikkim. I also want to add that in reality every Sikkimese born is actually being born with a debt on his or her head. The loans taken by the government has burdened even those in the womb,” Mr. Tamang contended.
He further questioned the claims in relation to the 18 September earthquake relief and rehabilitation. In this regard, while claiming that experts have reported that power projects were instrumental in the extent of damage caused by the natural calamity, he sought a White Paper on the amount of donations and contributions the State government and the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund had received thus far.
“There is still no mathematics on what the actual amount of contributions in cash or kind has been and where these have been utilized. There is a book, ‘Sikkim-The Earthquake’, published by the government but even that does not mention the donations that the different organizations have contributed. I have a list of contributors whose names have not been added to that book. I also want to ask the government what is the actual number of deceased in the earthquake is since the numbers have fluctuated in different reports,” the Upper Burtuk MLA said.
While referring to points related to education and the youth, Mr. Tamang said that the process of affiliation for Kyongsa Government College in West Sikkim was done in a haphazard manner and without following the norms of the UGC which, he said, was illegal since as per the law only Sikkim University had the authority to affiliate colleges in Sikkim.
“These differences the government has with some individuals will lead to an insecure future for the students and the youth who will pass out of college without proper recognized degrees. Even the Sikkim Manipal University has cases against it in the courts in Delhi for opening off-university campuses and still the state government is not bothered,” he alleged.
He also spoke on the land acquisition process for SU at Yangang and why the same had still not come about.
He also put on record the opening of the discotheque by the HRD Minister’s son shouldering a government school, violating and challenging the entire system put in place by the Supreme Court to curb ill- effects of the same. He demanded an enquiry into the matter.
Mr. Tamang further raised issues on the power projects and the ‘scams’ being reported in national newspapers like Delhi-based weekly ‘Current News’. While mentioning that these power developers had to avail heavy loans from financial institutions to start these projects, he questioned the state government’s role of standing as guarantors for such projects and enquired why the state government could not carry out such projects on its own.
While stating that he was not against power projects that could contribute to the development of the state, he questioned the state government on why it was charging low rates on ‘up-front payment per mega-watt’ as compared to the other states. He also pointed out that even the CAG report had mentioned these discrepancies in the power development sector.
“I want to ask the state government why it does not hold competitive tenders for such projects since many of these companies which do not have the expertise are retendering the same. Also why the projects that are scrapped because of being unviable being reconsidered again,” he asked.
In conclusion, after the Speaker had already called in him to wind up his address because other members too had to be given a chance to speak, Mr. Tamang took up the seat reservation for Limboo and Tamang communities, alleging that the SDF was using it only as an election issue. Pointing out that the two communities had already waited nine years for the reserved seats, he enquired after the State government’s stand on the issue.
In his reply to the discussions, the Leader of the House commented, “These are the words of the people from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Assam and New Delhi and not PS Tamang’s. I thus do not have to reply to any of these points as I condemn every single one. The Governor’s address is an important document that speaks of the state’s development and its pace but the manner in which it has been contested shows the level of negative politics some people can stoop to.”
The Chief Minister stated that it was “these few people” were not important, because the priority for the SDF Government was the entire population of Sikkim which had given a full mandate to the SDF, “a party under which Mr. Tamang also contested and won, to run the government. “The SDF party has delivered, benefitting the people who know what the party has done and achieved in the past 18 years since it came to power,” he said.
“I just want to tell the House that the people of Sikkim, especially the students and youth should be wary of such so called leaders since they are misleading everyone by telling lies,” stated the Chief Minister.
While stating that these were ‘invalid’ points being raised by an MLA who had failed to deliver to his constituency in a time of crisis and a member who had come to the assembly after a gap of three years, Mr. Chamling countered that the Upper Burtuk MLA’s “personal disgruntlement with the party high command for not making him a Minister this time had led him to such desperation”.
“I did not give PS Tamang a minister portfolio since there is a case of Animal Husbandry Milching Cow Scam against him in the courts. It is this disgruntlement that has led him to compromise on maintaining the sanctity and peace in the state,” the CM retorted.
On the points raised by Mr. Tamang, the CM said that the MLA must be ‘confused’ between GDP and GSDP since he did not understand what the Governor’s address meant. While explaining the point, he confirmed that the GDP of Sikkim was actually on the rise and that the GSDP fluctuated with issues such as the recent earthquake.
The Chief Minister also explained that the BPL figures quoted in the Governor’s address were based on statistics compiled by the Centre and not misrepresented by the State Government as was being inferred by Mr. Tamang.
“Sikkim is on its way to a prosperous future and all indicators suggest the same. Poverty is being eradicated slowly and a new middle class has emerged. We want a poverty-free Sikkim and we are achieving the same. I do not know about other statistics, but Sikkim has a total of 13 percent BPL. However, since we are a welfare State we subsidize essentials items like rice to other [non-BPL] sections as well. I also want to inform the House that Sikkim is the only state that gives free rice to its BPL,” stated the Chief Minister.
Further, while explaining that the country itself was in debt and that all developed nations like China and America also had a huge credit economy, the CM informed that Sikkim received substantial subsidies on loans and unlike other states had never defaulted in paying the annual interest of the 44 percent of the GSDP which was Sikkim’s actual loan.
While informing the House that there was Rs. 63 crore in the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Rs. 1,000 crore (yet to be received, but committed in principal) from the Centre and Rs. 240 crore through NDRF for earthquake relief and rehabilitation, he suggested that the that the MLA must have been misinformed or confused on this matter as well. The CM added that a White Paper on earthquake relief and rehabilitation has already been announced by the State Government and also informed that 60 people lost their lives in the 11 September earthquake in Sikkim.
Regarding the affiliation of Kyongsa College, the CM said that the MLA appeared to be mouthing words drafted by the Sikkim University Vice Chancellor. “It is the SDF Government that brought the central University to Sikkim and acquired the land for the same; however the VC’s conduct and attitude have created a situation where the residents of the area have now decided to opt out of giving their land. The government has facilitated every aspect to develop education in the state but it is the people like the VC who have now put up obstacles in smooth and efficient functioning, how does the member justify his queries now,” he countered.
He added here that it was the Sikkim University VC who refused affiliation to Kyongsa College which led the State government to look for alternatives to secure the future of the students who were to be enrolled there. Had it not been for the timely affiliation from a private university, the students would have suffered, he informed.
About the HRD Minister’s son who operated a discotheque near a school, the CM said that an inquiry has already been initiated into the matter and if there were discrepancies, then action would be taken legally as prescribed by law. He also pointed out that even the children of ministers and public representatives had a fundamental right to do business and politics should always be kept out while someone was exercising their rights.
“Time and history will speak what these projects and industries will do for the economy of Sikkim. We have never stayed guarantors for any power project and these projects have come to the government and we have not gone to them. All information suggesting otherwise is fabricated and since these matters are in the court I would refrain from commenting more since that would be sub-judice,” the Cm said on the hydel projects query.
Lastly, he concluded by stating that it was the SDF Government which had won Scheduled Tribes status for the Limboo and Tamang communities, so it did not hold to logic to suggest that the government was not as committed to secure them their political rights as STs as well. Adding that even this matter was now in the Courts, he said that commenting any more was not advisable at this time except pointing out that the two communities knew very well what the actual problem was and that Mr. Tamang raising these issues even while knowing the cause “was only manifesting the political agenda of the disgruntled MLA.”