SKM Govt weakening old land laws of Sikkim by misusing 2018 notification: SNS

GANGTOK,:  Sikkimey Nagarik Samaj on Wednesday “strongly” condemned the “repeated attempts of SKM government to weaken the old land laws of Sikkim by misusing illegal notification of 2018”, referring to the Land Revenue department notification which, the SNS alleged, is being misused to transfer land and other immovable property of original inhabitants of Sikkim to non-Sikkim Subject and non-COI holders.
“Regular attempts of land transfer ignoring Revenue Order No. 1, an old law protected under Article 371F, and regular proposals brought in every cabinet meeting to distort the old laws is a serious offence and Sikkimese people will not remain silent forever,” a SNS release issued by chief patron Tseten Tashi Bhutia states.
The SNS said that despite their repeated requests to the State government to withdraw the notification, the SKM government is “hell bent on destroying the rights of Sikkimese people" misusing the same notification. As such, Sikkimey Nagarik Samaj demands Land Revenue department to stop bringing anti-Sikkimese proposals in cabinet meetings and request State government to immediately withdraw illegal notification of 2018 in the interests of Sikkim and its people, the release adds.
Further, SNS has expressed shock over the award of higher studies scholarship to the trade license holders who do not possess Sikkim Subject, CoI or Residential Certificate.
“The Education department should be aware that the Sikkim Subject/Certificate of Identification or Residential Certificate is prerequisites for getting trade license, thus the trade license issued beyond these certificates are all illegal in Sikkim. Therefore, awarding scholarships on the basis of trade license is illegal and will have far reaching implications if not stopped today. Such illegal practice of education department is against the interests of Sikkimese people and it should be withdrawn immediately,” the SNS added.
The SNS has appealed “right thinking” Sikkimese people to wake up and raise their voice to safeguard their constitutional rights as enshrined under Article 371F of the constitution of India “before we become aliens in our own land.”