GANGTOK, : A delegation of the Citizen Action Party (CAP) Sikkim led by Pobin Hang
Subba, national coordinator and Kiran Zimba, vice president, met with senior
officials of the Ministry of Finance in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The
delegation submitted a formal memorandum to the secretary, Department of
Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, drawing urgent attention to the
ongoing borrowings made by the Government of Sikkim under the Pension Fund
Adjustment (PFA) Scheme despite the State's declared reversion to the Old
Pension Scheme (OPS), a CAP Sikkim release informs.
In
the memorandum, the CAP Sikkim highlighted that while the
Government of Sikkim has officially notified its decision to exit the National
Pension Scheme (NPS) and revert to OPS, it continues to access Central
borrowings under the PFA Scheme—meant exclusively for NPS-compliant States. The
party flagged this as a serious violation of financial propriety and policy
coherence, said the CAP Sikkim.
“The
delegation pointed out that not only has this practice been continuing over the
past few financial years, but the Government of Sikkim has also proposed
similar borrowings for the upcoming financial year 2025–26. This contradictory
stance, the party argues, undermines the spirit of pension reform and raises
questions about the fiscal discipline of the State administration,” said the
CAP Sikkim.
The
CAP Sikkim, in its memorandum, has urged the Ministry of Finance to conduct a
thorough examination of the issue to ensure that such provisions are not
misused or misinterpreted by any State government. The party emphasized that
financial integrity, transparency, and consistent application of central
schemes must be safeguarded in the interest of national fiscal responsibility,
the release mentions.
The
party looks forward to swift and appropriate action by the Ministry to uphold
the credibility of Central financial mechanisms and prevent any misuse of
public funds, said the CAP Sikkim.
