Gangtok: In an embarrassment to the Pawan
Kumar Chamling government, an apolitical body - Bihari Jagaran
Manch (BJM) – on Tuesday alleged that members of the community have
been deprived of the benefits of various central government
schemes despite being bonafide residences of Sikkim for
several decades.
"The central welfare schemes have not not been
extended to over 40,000-strong Bihari migrants despite the
fact that most of them have been settled here for many
decades," BJM President Swami Prasad told reporters here.
Alleging discrimination against the Bihari people in
Sikkim, he said the state government authorities were not
issuing trade licences to them for the purpose of engaging
themselves in business activities for livelihood, he said.
The members of the Bihari communities have been made
to run from one office to another to secure trade licences due
to bureaucratic red-tappism with one department passing the
buck on other for disposal of applications, the BJM President
said.
While the Urban Development and Housing Development
(UD&HD) authorities ask for residency certificate for issuance
of trade licences to the migrant people, the local authorities
were not issuing the document to the needy despite the fact
that they have been issued voter identity cards and ration
cards by the subordinate officials.
Prasad further alleged that the distress of the
migrant people have been compounded further as the UD&HD
authorities have taken away the licences of about 10,000
hawkers, mostly from Bihar, some months back for the purpose
of verification but the papers were not being returned to
enable them earn their livelihood.
Alleging the plight of the Bihari people have
worsened over the years in Sikkim, the BJM President urged the
Chamling government to take appropriate steps to enable the
migrant people to lead a life of dignity.
The state government should also consider issuing the
Sikkim Subject Certicate or the Certificate of Identification
to the old settlers from the Bihari community who were living
in the state by the cut off date of April 26, 1975, so that
they can enjoy their socio-economic and political rights as
much as the locals, he said.
On the demand for income tax exemption for the old
settlers, Prasad said that it would be fair that the migrant
people carrying relevant documents of their residency be
considered for exemption as was the case with the indigenous
people.
Prasad sought to give a clean chit to the Chief
Minister for the plight of the migrant people and blamed the
'influential bureaucracy' in the state for the discrimination
of the Bihari community.
Bureau Report