Sikkim government constitutes committee to oversee applicability of Inner Line Permit in the state

The Sikkim Government on February 5  has constituted a Committee to oversee the applicability of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the State of Sikkim.

Shanta Pradhan, Retd. Secretary, Government of Sikkim has been appointed as Chairman.

Other committe members include T. N. Dhakal,Political Advisor to HCM,  M. P. Subba, Advisor, Education Department, Sarala Rai,Retd. IAS, Secretary, Government of Sikkim,  Y. P. Gurung, Retd. IFS, Secretary, Government of Sikkim, S. D. Tshering, Retd. IES, Secretary, Government of Sikkim, Passang Gyali Sherpa,Resident of Gangtok, Tashi Cho Cho,Secretary, Home Department, Tshewang Gyachho, Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department.

As per the terms of reference, the Committee shall study the implementation of ILP and its impact in other north-eastern states and make suitable recommendations. 

The Committee shall visit Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. The Committee shall consult and take opinion of all stakeholders. 

The Committee shall co-opt services of any other officer of the Government of Sikkim, if deemed necessary; and the Committee shall submit its report within one month of issue of this notification.

Earlier on February 3, Former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling-led SDF had called a 48-hour Sikkim bandh on February 4 and 5 to "convey a public message" to the Centre over the 'foreigner' remark against Sikkimese Nepali community in a recent Supreme Court judgement. 

Chamling, the president of the opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party, said: "Through this bandh, we must send a strong message from the people of Sikkim to the Central government that the people of the Sikkimese Nepali community are not foreigners. 

It is not possible for people to come up individually and raise their voice. We need a collective demonstration from the people of Sikkim. In a democracy, calling a bandh is the most appropriate measure to show our collective protest against the foreigner and immigrant stain on us."