‘Appointment of OSD to Sikkim CM against Article 371F provisions’

Gangtok: Sikkim politician and social activist Passang Sherpa has condemned the appointment of Sunil Saraogi as an OSD to chief minister PS Golay. As per reports, the appointment by the state government was done in June last year on ‘honorary basis’ with the appointee to be stationed in New Delhi.

Sherpa, in a press statement on Monday, said that the appointment of Sunil Saraogi was in utter violation of Rule 4/4 under Sikkim Government Establishment Rules 1974 and goes against the provisions of Article 371F.

“The news of appointing Sunil Saraogi as OSD to the chief minister and making him the face of Sikkim in national arena violating Rule 4/4 has proved that SKM and the state government has no concern about the rights and interests of Sikkimese people. It is surprising that many senior leaders proclaiming themselves to be the guardian of Article 371F and now holding the senior most posts in the party and government has remained silent throughout,” said Sherpa.

Passang is currently the coordinator of ‘I am 371F’ campaign.

“Backtracking from its promise to protect Old Laws and Article 371F, SKM party within a span of 8 months has time and again violated the provisions of Article 371F. Starting with the appointment of Mahendra P. Lama as an Economic Advisor violating Rule 4/4, inability to exempt Sikkim from the preview of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the implementation of Motor Vehicle Act 2019 without a single discussion in the State Assembly though State government had all the power to revisit the Act. The situation got further deteriorated as SKM government chooses to remain silent on the issue of National Population Register (NPR), a prerequisite of National Register of Citizens (NRC),” said Sherpa.

“In place of providing solutions to the long pending demands of Sikkimese people, SKM government is hell-bent on diluting the special provisions of Article 371F, as such we condemn such moves of SKM government and appeal the senior and Sikkim-centric leaders within SKM party to raise their voice against such arbitrary decisions of the State government in larger interests of Sikkim and its people,” added Sherpa.

Meanwhile, Sikkim Congress Pradesh Committe president Bharat Basnett also objected to the appointment of the OSD and called it illegal.

Sikkim Subject Committee vice-convenor Nawin Kiran Pradhan also said that under the Sikkim State Public Service Act 2006, political parties are recruiting non-Sikkimese employees and it should be cancelled.