Gangtok: Pawan Kumar Chamling, the president of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), demanded the state government pay the enhanced minimum wages to the working class before Dashain (Dussehra festival) in October.
On September 13, CM Golay approved a 67% increase in the daily wages, putting Sikkim in the third position behind Delhi and Andaman and Nicobar in terms of daily wages.
Chamling was addressing the SDF workers and supporters during his birthday celebration at the SDF party office on Thursday.
Congratulating the state government for the hike in the minimum wages, he said, “The entire working class should get paid based on the enhanced rate before this Dashain along with the arrears from September 2019 as the present government promised to increase the minimum wages of Rs 20,000 within 100 days of forming the government. The enhanced rate in minimum wages should be first given to the workers in the government sectors, PWD workers and other departments.”
He said although the present government has enhanced the rate of minimum wages, the government said it would not be implemented for government sector workers, and only for private sector workers.
The state government should first implement this enhanced rate for workers working in the government sector, and then only the private sector would be compelled to implement the rate for their workers, Chamling added.
Chamling alleged the present government of receiving almost double the budget of the former SDF government. “But there was no developmental works of such huge money in the state. The people of Sikkim must enquire where the money went. As per the latest data, the poverty and inflation rates have gone very high in Sikkim and alleged that no step has been taken by the state government to give relief to the people. Instead of addressing the high unemployment rate by starting some employment generating schemes, the state government, instead, is selling employment generating avenues and opportunities,” he added.
While speaking on the Aama scheme of the state government, Chamling said, “No one in the state would benefit from this scheme following so many criteria included by the government in the scheme. The scheme has been started just to mislead and lie to the people of Sikkim.”
Chamling further stated, “During the SDF rule, education was made free-of-cost for students up to college. We believed in less money and more work, but the present ruling party has passed a budget for four years, which is more than for 10 years. They have also taken a loan. With a huge budget, no work has been done. ‘Where did the entire fund go?’ is what the Janta wants to know as the money belongs to the people of Sikkim. The funds and the budget belong to the Sikkimese. It is the property of the state.”
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