CM to undertake monthly ‘Janbhet’ initiative after Budget

BIJOY GURUNG

Party committee to certify genuine SKM workers, filter out election turncoats

GANGTOK,: Chief Minister PS Golay would be undertaking ‘Jan Bhet Karyakram’ after the Budget Session in July, during which he plans to engage with the people of three constituencies every month.

However, the hugely successful public meeting series are being “streamlined” henceforth with only those accredited as genuine SKM workers and supporters to be given the opportunity to meet and place their issues before the Chief Minister.

Responsibility for endorsing those who dedicatedly worked and supported the SKM during the recent Assembly election will lie on the party’s nine-member committee at every constituency.

Also only those with gate passes from their respective MLAs would be allowed entry to Mintokgang for greeting and congratulating the Chief Minister, who maintained that these filtering measures are being considered to ensure “justice” for the real Krantikaris.

Golay was sharing about such measures at Yangang while addressing a relief-distribution programme for the landslide-affected families of Majuwa and other areas on Saturday. He recollected the SKM government did inclusive politics and embraced everyone in its first term but now time has come to act firm against the political turncoats.

“Those who got nothing from us for five years, it is their right and justified to oppose us. And there are those who took everything from us like jobs, contracts, vehicles and welfare schemes but changed their colours when the elections came,” said Golay, adding that he has to believe audio and video evidences available with him. He thanked the SKM workers and supporters who worked day and night for the party’s success and expressed that such workers needed to be recognised and rewarded.

The Chief Minister pointed out that those who voted and toiled hard for SKM in the elections are staying happy in their constituencies while mostly those who did not voted for his party are making a beeline at Mintokgang with khadas. I fully understood this and stopped the meeting at Mintokgang but it is not entirely like that, those genuine party workers who supported us selflessly, I will come to meet and thank them and also invite them to meet me at Mintokgang, he said.

For this, I have made ‘gate pass’ for every constituency which I will share with the respective MLAs so they will distribute to the real supporters, they must give to the genuine supporters, and only those having ‘gate pass’ can meet me, in this manner our real party workers will get justice, Golay expressed.

Golay, also the SKM president, said a nine-member committee would be formed in every constituency to identify and recommend the genuine SKM cadres.

The Chief Minister further mentioned that henceforth, he would not be accepting applications randomly to avoid mistakes. First the nine-member committee and area MLA have to recommend and then I will do the needful, he said.

In his address, the Chief Minister shared that he is resuming his ‘Janbhet’ series after the Budget Session in July – aiming to meet the people of three constituencies every month. He stressed that only those who have been recommended by the constituency’s nine-member committee would get to meet him.

This is being done to streamline (the process) the ‘Janbhet’ programme, I feel this is the best approach to give justice to those whose have worked hard day and night, said Golay.

Ex-gratia, house allotment orders presented to Majuwa victims

During his visit to Majuwa, the Chief Minister took stock of the landslide-related damages, oversaw the relief disbursement and handed away financial assistance to the affected villagers. House allotment orders for the displaced families and ex-gratia to the bereaved families were also presented during the programme held at Tourism Centre, Yangang helipad which also served as the relief camp.

Three persons had been killed and several houses damaged due to the landslides triggered by heavy rains at Majuwa on June 10 under Rangang-Yangang constituency.

Golay emphasized the government's commitment to providing long-term support to the affected areas and outlined a multi-phase plan that includes infrastructure rehabilitation. He announced that a half-acre of cultivable land would be provided to those families whose houses were completely swept away by the calamity. He directed the officials of the Roads and Bridges department to restore the road linking to Majuwa expeditiously.