GANGTOK,: The Citizen Action Party (CAP) Sikkim has promised to make Sikkim free from its heavily accumulated debts within 10 years, if the party is elected to power in this Assembly election.
“Sikkim is reeling under debts under years of mis-governance and financial mismanagement. If CAP Sikkim is elected to the government, we promise to make Sikkim debt-free by 10 years. Our government will bring about Rs. 50,000 crore of investment in Sikkim in the next five years,” said CAP Sikkim chief coordinator Ganesh Rai on Sunday evening.
Rai, also the CAP Sikkim’s Chief Ministerial candidate, was briefing the media here about the party’s manifesto for the 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Sikkim. He along with party president Bharat Basnet, election campaign committee chairman LP Kafley and party functionaries released the CAP Sikkim’s election manifesto.
“Ninety per cent of the promises given by the political parties in Sikkim during elections have never been fulfilled but our promises and programmes in the manifesto are all practical and possible. We have policies for the security and progress of all sectors here,” said Rai.
Regarding the Limboo-Tamang Assembly seat reservation issue, the CAP Sikkim leader committed to form a commission and hold a special census of the two communities. After this, based on the 2026 delimitation, we will work out a solution in securing the Limboo-Tamang Assembly seats as per the population ratio, he said. He blamed both the past SDF and present SKM government for the inordinate delay in protecting the due political rights to the Limboo-Tamang communities who got the ST status in 2003.
Rai also gave the party’s focus on restoration of Nepali seats in the State Assembly while promising to scrap the Teesta-IV hydel power project which is proposed in Dzongu. There will be no sanction to any additional hydel power projects and a CBI enquiry will be done to investigate the corruption done in the Teesta-III hydel power project, he said.
Regarding the Teesta-III project’s future, the CAP Sikkim leader said the decision is up to the people of Mangan district.
The Teesta-III project under Sikkim Urja Ltd is presently defunct after the flash flood of October 2023 and recently, the State government has taken a decision to disinvest its shares of the undertaking. The project’s future would be decided by the people of Mangan district and we will respect their decision, he said.
In its manifesto, the CAP Sikkim has promised to bring investment amounting to Rs. 50,000 crore in Sikkim in five years of its government. This will not only increase our GSDP but generate mass employment opportunities, said Rai, stressing on the need to have financial reforms in Sikkim. We feel that required financial reforms will lead to financial independence of our people that will establish true democracy in Sikkim, he added.
Rai informed that the CAP Sikkim is declaring its candidates soon with the nomination process commencing from March 20 and concluding on March 27.
CAP Sikkim president Bharat Basnet, in his address, recorded that the party’s election manifesto incorporates all sectors like education, agriculture, youth, labour, employees, sports and political demands besides protection of Article 371F.
“The promises outlined in our manifesto are all achievable while other political parties are unable to fulfil even 10% of their manifesto promises. CAP is the only party which can free Sikkim from its debts and violence, and bring prosperity and peace in Sikkim,” said Basnet.
The CAP Sikkim president urged the Governor, State administration and Election authorities to ensure that a level playing field is provided to all the political parties during the elections.
The CAP Sikkim election manifesto was also addressed by election campaign committee chairman LP Kafley and manifesto drafting committee member secretary Mahesh Rai.