CAP’s reforms wave cannot be stopped: Ganesh Rai

BIJOY GURUNG

GANGTOK,: Citizen Action Party (CAP) Sikkim leader Ganesh Rai on Sunday asserted that the party’s wave of reforms has acquired an “unstoppable pace” as Assembly election approaches fast in the State.

“Election is very near, the ECI can announce the election date anytime and CAP Sikkim is also prepared to strongly contest the Assembly election and form the government. Citizens of Sikkim have already made up their minds. The wave for reforms has gained pace in Sikkim and cannot be stopped,” said Rai, also the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate.

Rai was addressing the CAP Sikkim’s public meeting held at Golitar near Singtam for the three districts of Gangtok, Pakyong and Mangan.

At the meeting, CAP Sikkim president Bharat Basnet, election committee chairman LP Kafley, senior party functionaries and workers wore black armbands to symbolically protest the atrocious physical attack on former Speaker KN Rai.

Blaming the ruling SKM for the attack, the CAP Sikkim leader warned that such political violence must not be repeated in the State. “CAP Sikkim wants to end political violence in Sikkim. In our government, we will develop an environment where the citizens can enjoy their rights and freedom of expression without any fear,” he said.

In his address, Rai maintained that both the past SDF government and present SKM government have miserably failed to create a “just society”.

 “The present government claims to be the best government, the past government is also making similar claims. However, all political parties should strive to create a just society, where among other things, every citizen can freely participate in political programmes. But today, it is seen as a huge crime to attend meetings of opposition parties, it was the same in the past government. So there is no just society in both the present and past governments,” said the CAP Sikkim’s Chief Ministerial candidate.

Rai maintained that a “just society” is where citizens can freely express their thoughts, a right which he said does not exist in Sikkim. Forget freely expressing oneself, even those liking the live social media broadcasts of opposition parties face victimization from the government, he said. There is no equal opportunity also as people who are seen close to the opposition parties are deprived of government benefits and welfare schemes, he said.

Our party’s aim is to develop a just society after forming the government, said the CAP Sikkim leader.

Rai also commented on the ongoing regularisation drive of over 22,000 temporary employees by the SKM government, alleging that the government is stretching the regularisation orders to the code of conduct period. For some reason, the Centre did not give funds and so they are working to delay it till the code of conduct, he said. He claimed that the OFOJ workers, even after getting regularisation order, would be eligible for regular pay scale only after five years.

“Our stand is that regularisation and good salaries is the right of temporary employees. It is the responsibility of the government who appointed you to give good salaries. Vote for CAP, we will give the deserved salaries,” said Rai.

Rai further mentioned that the SKM government could not get the Limboo-Tamang seats and tribal status for the left-out communities of Sikkim. He promised to deliver the Limboo-Tamang seats and the tribal status for the left-out communities besides working on restoration of the lost Nepali seats in the State Assembly.

The public meeting was also addressed by the CAP Sikkim president Bharat Basnet, election committee chairman LP Kafley and other functionaries.  On the occasion, the CAP Sikkim welcomed several new members into the party.

The CAP Sikkim would be holding its public meeting for the three districts of Soreng, Gyalshing and Namchi soon, followed by the State-level Nagarik Sabha.