SIKKIM: Divisions must not be created in Sikkimese society: KN Uperti on IT gaffe
Posted by barunroy on January 6, 2009
FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS
Gangtok: A pillar of Sikkim’s three decade long politics, KN Uperti today made his objections clear to the skeletons coming out of the Income Tax cupboard and said that he is very much opposed to the ‘divisions’ created in the exemption aftermath.
However, at the outset, the former Law minister said that he welcomes the income tax exemption granted to the Sikkimese subject holders.
“The Central Income Tax exemption given to the Sikkimese subject holders is very much welcome. But at the same note, I protest the division created in the Sikkimese society due to the non exemption on basis of serial and volume numbers in the subject certificates. Its great injustice to Sikkimese people”, said Mr. Uperti during an informal chat with Sikkim Express.
Recently, Income Tax unit of Sikkim had made it clear that only Sikkim subject holders are granted exemption from paying income taxes and those without the certificates and even those Sikkim subject holders without serial and volume numbers are not granted this relief.
“The non exemption on basis of serial and volume numbers have done great injustice to those Sikkimese people who have settled in Sikkim for generations”, said Mr. Uperti.
It may be recalled that the former minister had shot to limelight when he vehemently protested over Sikkimese Nepali community being left out from the first income tax exemption exercise of the Centre in 1994. He had demanded that even the Sikkimese Nepali community must be exempted along with the Sikkimese Bhutia and Lepcha communities.
Now 15 years later, Mr. Uperti has again raised the income tax ghosts and criticized the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government over the recent heart burn arising from the serial and volume numbers. “The State government should have set up a clear cut policy on the exemption being granted to Sikkim subject holders at the first place”, he said adding that other political parties should have also been consulted before entering into an agreement with the Centre for enforcing the 1961 Income Tax Act into Sikkim.
“I welcome the income tax exemption to Sikkim subject holders. But the Sikkimese society must not be divided by raising new issues. The State government should have address all these issues beforehand”, said Mr. Uperti appealing the government to initiate timely remedies.
