Confident that Centre will address our concerns on Sikkimese redefinition: DR Thapa

BIJOY GURUNG

GANGTOK,: State BJP president DR Thapa on Tuesday stressed that it is irrational to blame the Centre when the Parliament’s amendment of Sikkimese definition in Income Tax Act 1961 was in compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgement.
“The amendment in the Finance Bill 2023 came in the manner as directed in the Supreme Court’s judgment. Whatever has been mentioned in the judgment, the same has been reflected in the Finance Bill. Despite this, there are some who are still blaming the Centre,” said Thapa to media here.
Thapa, however, mentioned that there has been a distortion of Sikkimese definition in the Income Tax Act clause that now grants income tax exemption also to those domiciled in Sikkim on or before April 26, 1975 and their descendants. At the same time, he expressed confidence that the BJP-led Centre will take corrective measures and protect the sanctity of Article 371F.
The State BJP president reminded that it was the Centre who proactively intervened and removed the Supreme Court’s ‘foreigner’ tag on Sikkimese Nepali community through a review petition in February. Regarding the present issue, our party will approach the Centre seeking corrective measures to restore our identity and protection under Article 371F, he said. He directly blamed the SKM government for allowing inclusion of the old settlers under section 10 (26AAA) of the Income Tax Act when the AOSS petition was being heard in the Supreme Court.
Thapa would be taking a State BJP delegation to Delhi after attending the special Assembly session proposed on April 10.
“I am also a son of Sikkim, and if my party is acting against Sikkim, I am ready to quit the BJP. However, I am confident that the BJP would not allow such a thing to happen against Sikkim. The Government of India loves Sikkim and would not interfere with Article 371F,” said the State BJP president.
Regarding the special Assembly session on April 10, Thapa reminded that in the recent Assembly sitting, he had sought that a committee is formed to scrutinize the credentials of those falling in the new two groups for income tax exemption. “There is so much work to do and this task has to be done in a proper manner while protecting Article 371F. We have to discuss with constitutional experts, implementation has to be done by the State government for which a proper committee needs to be formed,” he said.