Gangtok: A day after the BJP legislator Dilli Ram Thapa termed the amendment of the Sikkim Public Demands Recovery Act a ‘Draconian Law’ during a discussion on the bill in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) spokesperson Jacob Khaling said the ‘Draconian’ tag drives home the true meaning of the amended act.
Khaling said, “We accept the Draconian tag as it gives the right meaning to the amended act. The act becomes draconian only when the individual fails to comply with the payment of taxes or any other revenue to the government, which the individual is liable to.”
“Earlier, the act was not as strong as the one the Government amended in the Assembly on August 23. Those rich and influential people were evading their loans and it was impossible to recover. Now, the act will help the state government to block the revenue leakages. Revenue is the backbone of any state or nation as it helps in functioning of the government smoothly even during trying times, facilitating the best of services to the citizens,” he added.
Expressing concerns over ‘no cross-examination of the loan defaulters’ under the act that was raised for discussion by Upper Burtuk MLA DR Thapa, Khaling said, “The documents necessary as evidence already exist if it is a case of loan, so non-payment of loan is also visible following the receipt of payment,” added Khaling.
Khaling claimed that the new amendment is not merely targeted at the State Bank of Sikkim. He said, “People have taken loans amounting to crores of rupees from the State Bank of Sikkim. They are the wilful defaulters who didn’t repay the loan. Those with smaller amounts have abided by the law, but not the rich who have taken crores of rupees as loan from the Sikkim government. This act will not just strengthen the State Bank of Sikkim but all the revenue sectors of the state government. It will also bring Public Sector Undertakings under the purview of act, upon which even the State government is dependent.”
Khaling further added that new defaulters under the SKM government will also not be spared under the Act. Expressing concerns over loans taken by people outside the state, Khaling said, “We have tried to attach properties of individuals from outside who have taken loans from SBS or in Sikkim. They too will not be spared. The Civil Court in existence there can collaborate in such cases.”
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