Three Bills introduced on the first day

Gangtok: At the outset of the winter session of Sikkim Legislative Assembly which began on Friday, February 26, the House stood in silence for two minutes in memory of Late Jyoti Basu, veteran communist leader and former Chief Minister of West Bengal and Late SK Rai, first Lok Sabha Member from Sikkim, and also expressed deep sorrow at their death.

Speaker Mr. K.T.Gyaltsen presided over the session in which three Bills were introduced one by Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling who is also Home Minister, and two by Mr. D. N. Thakarpa, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.

Obituary to Jyoti Basu and S. K. Rai was mooted by Speaker then elaborated by Chief Minister. Recalling the long political career and a record tenure of Jyoti Basu as Chief Minister of West Bengal (June 1977- November 2000), Chief Minister described Basu as “a strong and distinguished legislature”. Basu is credited as “the longest serving Chief Minister in the Indian political history”, Dr. Chamling observed. “May his departed soul rest in peace and the bereaved family members be given strength to bear the loss”, he prayed.

Late Sontosh Kumar Rai, Chief Minister recalled, became the first Lok Sabha M.P. of Sikkim from the Congress party in September 1976 when Late L. D. Kazi headed the Government of Sikkim. “Late Rai was a man of strong conviction and a man of principle”, who approached the Central Government to merge Sikkim in the Indian mainstream, Chief Minister noted, adding, he (Rai) raised the demand of a Railway line from Sevoke to Rangpo and a University in Sikkim in the Parliament during his tenure as an MP. Besides, he was also a skilled artist who took part in the famous Nepali play “Muna Madan". His death has created a vacuum and it is a loss to the State. This August House wishes to express its deep sorrow on his death and convey heartfelt condolence to his bereaved family”, Chief Minister said. “May his soul rest in peace”, he added.

In other business of the House on the day, Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill was introduced by Chief Minister in charge of Home.

Sikkim Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Members of Sikkim Legislative Assembly (Salaries and allowances) Amendment Bill, and Sikkim Legislative Assembly Members (Payment of Pension) Amendment Bill, were placed in the House by the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Thakarpa.

On the day, Chief Minister, who is the Minister-in-charge of Finance Revenue and Expenditure Department, also presented the first supplementary demands for Grants 2009-10, in order to accommodate the additional expenditure on account of revisions of pay and other priority items of expenditure of the State Government. The Supplementary demands for grants include 43 grants/appropriations and involve a gross expenditure of Rs.455.07 crores which comprises of Rs.304.46 crores on revenue accounts and Rs.150.61 crores on capital accounts.