SKM govt has lost 1st wicket by reviewing OFOJ appointees: SDF

Gangtok: The new Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) government has lost its first wicket with the rollback of the ‘One Family One Job (OFOJ)‘ notification, said Opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF).

A few days after taking oath, the new SKM government had issued a notification to cancel illegal orders of appointments under the OFOJ floated in January by the previous SDF government. But with the notification released by the department of personnel (DoP) on Wednesday, the OFOJ appointees will not be removed from their jobs anytime soon.

While addressing a press conference at its headquarters on Thursday, the SDF asserted that the rollback did not happen due to protests from the OFOJ appointees and also due to the pressure created by the SDF. Terming the OFOJ as the most discussed scheme in the country today, SDF spokesperson JB Darnal said, “The SKM party has lost its first wicket. It’s a record in itself that after forming the government the very first notification of the SKM government has been turned down. Within four days of forming the government, they had played with the future of 10,000 such appointees and had taken away the means of earning from the poor, which is against the people.”

Terming the previous notification for cancellation of OFOJ appointees as being against the poor people of the state, the SDF said: “SKM honey-trapped the voters during the recent election with the promise of regularisation within 100 days of forming the government as against the SDF’s stand of regularisation within five years. The respect that government job secures and the promise of 100 days trapped the people. The SKM and PS Golay have fooled the people but SDF is with the people, with the issue and will continue to fight for the issue. It is because of the pressure of the SDF party and the voice of such appointees, that the notification has been cancelled.”

Also Read: Sikkim: SKM to pursue corruption charges against ex-CM Chamling

The SDF came to terms with the fact that even by a whisker, it is currently the SKM government “but the tripod stand of the government is faltering already and they have been cornered by the issue of OFOJ. We suggest them not to take away the means of earning from the poor people”, said Darnal.

The SDF termed that the chief ministerial candidature of PS Golay as anti- 371F wherein the spokesperson MK Subba said, “The 32-seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly are government by Article 371F Clause B (1,2 and 3) of the Indian Constitution. There it has been clearly mentioned who are going to be elected there, with the qualification for Sikkim Legislative Assembly membership being defined by Representation Act, 1951 Clause 5A part 2 wherein all the 32 seats, the candidate has to be enrolled in any one of the 31 seats of Sikkim. Golay has bypassed all these rules. He has over-ranked 371F because he has been nominated. Though he is from Sikkim, his name is in one of the electoral list but he didn’t contest. The nomination of PS Golay has directly violated 371-F which is a non obstante clause. With Golay as CM, 371-F has been totally uprooted.”

The party went on to allege that the miscreants who remarked against former CM Pawan Chamling in the Assembly on June 3, have been boasting of the same across social media. “Yet, chief minister Golay who assumed to be the leader of the House was famously heard saying ‘I don’t know about it’,” the party leader said.

The spokesperson said that the CM must know when such incidents unfold and, such statements and attitude will not help in running the state. We will make him remember this incident and remind him of the code of conduct and rules of business and procedures given by the Indian Constitution, that they must refer to the same and bring the culprit in front of the law, he added.

The SDF questioned the stand of the Speaker in keeping his image and that of the assembly intact. “The Assembly is neither of the SKM party nor of the SDF party. It belongs to democracy and the people. It’s a sacred place and we will continue to fight for the same. We will be taking action against the incident on behalf of the Sikkimese people,” the party leader said.

Also Read: ‘One Family, One Job’ was a vote-churning initiative of SDF: SKM

Kunga Nima Lepcha counter

With the human resource development minister Kunga Nima Lepcha allegedly transferring a block division officer in Parkha which went viral across the social media on Wednesday, the SDF termed the incident uncalled for. “The depth of the context was for the officer in-charge for not maintaining the protocol, there must have been a breach, it can happen, we are not denying that. But the way HRD minister Kunga Nima Lepcha was executing was wrong. It exhibits the mob mentality as he cannot charge an officer like that who is also a public servant in rank and file with a responsible post. So if the officer had defaulted on some issues, he could have reprimanded him in a better way, he could have taken him to the office, kept him there,” the party leader said.

Claiming that the officer concerned was cornered, the SDF also said, “There were so many people talking on top of the minister and that is not the protocol of the minister either. Also if he wants a protocol, he must maintain his own protocol as well. So I on behalf of our party would like to tell, that let our officers also be protected after all they are also government servants. If at all, he is at fault there is no point in charging him in front of the mob,” said Subba.