BJP blasts SDF government over local employment bill

Gangtok, Mar 11 (UNI) The Sikkim BJP today terming the government's Promotion of Local Employment Bill 'toothless tiger' said it was passed with an eye on the coming Assembly polls.

''It took nearly 14 years for the ruling SDF to bring a bill on local protection but is useless as the rules were not simultaneously laid down in the Assembly,'' state BJP general secretary C B Chettri said.

The Bill, which was passed yesterday, puts an obligation on the private sector to employ 95 per cent of the local people in their units.

''The SDF government is preparing for an election,'' Mr Chettri said adding that the Act may come in the way of Article 14 and 16.

He further slammed the SDF government on maintaining double standards on Limboo-Tamang seat reservation in the state Assembly.

The government lost the moral right to pass the resolution for expansion of the House to accommodate the Limboo-Tamang communities as it had itself ratified the 84th Amendment Bill on March 28, 2000, said BJP.

The SDF had passed a resolution during the budget session demanding the Centre to increase the Assembly seats to 40 from 32 seats and reserve seats for the Limboo-Tamang communities, who had been declared as ST on 2003.

The Amendment Bill clearly mentioned that seats would not be changed till the 2026 census and the resolution is meaningless, the BJP general secretary added.

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