Chamling gets central assurances on Rumtek Karmapa

SNS, Gangtok, 18 July 2014: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has managed to extract assurances from the Central government on the Rumtek Karmapa issue.After a meeting with Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and minister of state Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi on Wednesday, Mr Singh assured the CM that they would consider the Karmapa issue on positive light at the earliest, according to a press release issued by the state government here today.

In the meeting with Mr Singh, Mr Chamling reiterated some issues of the state still pending with the centre, such as the demand for reservation of Limboo-Tamang seats in the Legislative Assembly and granting permission to the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje to take “his seat” at the Rumtek Monastery, and inclusion of “left-out” ethnic Sikkimese Nepali communities in the Schedule Tribe list.Apprising the Union finance minister, Arun Jaitley, of the fiscal position of the state, Mr Chamling handed over a memorandum, requesting him to grant income tax exemption to the “left-out” communities and the business community in Sikkim, the release said.

Mr Chamling later held detailed discussions with union road, transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on the road sector in Sikkim and the role of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in the upkeep of the border roads and highways.

The CM reiterated the requirement of an alternative national highway for Sikkim and strengthening of the existing national highway. He also requested for a special fund of over Rs 7,500 crore in a phased manner for the Holistic Road Network Development Programme. MR Gadkari offered full cooperation to Sikkim in the implementation of the projects.

The CM also called on Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati, who showed keen interest in visiting Sikkim.

With minister of state for information and broadcasting, Prakash Javadekar, the CM placed a long pending demand of the state for the inauguration of the Doordarshan Kendra in Gangtok and posting of staff and other manpower there. According to the press release, he requested personal intervention of the Union Minister in inaugurating and commencing full fledged operation of the Kendra “to provide encouragement to local artists and also to facilitate a better understanding of the way of life, dreams and hopes and aspirations of the people of Sikkim.”