Who needs Residential Certificate?
The controversy over the Residential Card is getting more intense. While the government has geared up to get it implemented, the opposition is vehement not to let it see the light of day.
During his motivating lecture to the students at Chintan Bhawan Sikkim, Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling asserted that these certificates will ensure that no more people from outside the state will be able to come and settle in the state. “Sikkim is the new land of opportunities and everybody wants to come here to use this opportunity,” said CM Pawan Chamling.
With the issue of Residential Certificates, only those who can prove that they were in Sikkim since 1975 will be eligible for the certificate, which is a prerequisite for working or establishing any kind of business in the state. Those holding Residential Certificates need not pay tax to the government, where as those who do not posses this certificate will be subjected to pay taxes.
But there are also concerns raised with such initiative of the ruling party. Tseten T. Bhutia, convenor of Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) feels that this scheme should have been debated by the people’s representatives and an act should be passed in the assembly.
With the merger with India in 1975, Sikkim got the status of 371 F which puts it in a special category under the constitution of India. Any laws subjected to the domicile of the state could overlap with the constitutional provisions laid by the Parliament.
The Sikkim National People’s Party (SNPP) slammed Residential Certificate project and said that the people of Sikkim have to remember that in the past the SDF Government has been increasingly going against the spirit of Article 371F and has been violating its provisions repeatedly. This move may be seen as one of them which will go on to crush the Sikkimese identity.
The concerns stand valid on the grounds that the Sikkim Subject Certificate (SSC) is already in practice. Any new move will be waste of public money. In the long run Resident Certificate will make SSC redundant. This would ultimately lead to a situation when the Sikkim Subject Certificate shall no longer be needed.
Sikkim also shares boundaries with China, Bhutan, and Nepal and is close to Bangladesh. Any plans should be discussed in public so as to not to create danger to national sovereignty.
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