Gangtok: Rajya Sabha MP from Sikkim, Hishey Lachungpa, has raised the Sikkim University imbroglio in a recent letter to Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal.
The MP also took up issues related to Service Tax, Railways and a Regional Passport Office for Sikkim with Central ministers.
Lachungpa has recommended the 8-point charter of demands of the Students Union of Sikkim with a request to look into the demands which include regular post-graduation courses and 50 percent seat reservation for local students in SU-affiliated colleges, a press release said.
Besides recommending the demand of the students, the MP also apprised Sibal about the growing dissent against the Sikkim University Vice Chancellor, Prof Mahendra P Lama.
In a letter written to Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee regarding the issue of service tax in Sikkim and other pending economic issues like Income Tax, the MP drew his attention to an earlier communication with regard to the implementation of Service Tax in Sikkim.
"We, the Members of Parliament from Sikkim had represented you in the beginning of this session. However, we have not received any response from the Ministry of Finance on this important pending economic issue for Sikkim,” the letter said.
He also reasoned that the Tourism Industry in Sikkim was still at a nascent stage and many educated and uneducated youths were engaged as stake holders in this profession directly or indirectly, making meager income.
“The stakeholders involved in the tourism industry in Sikkim need a breather, mainly because of the recent devastating earthquake. This calamity has decreased the flow of tourists drastically and is taking time to recover. It is also pertinent to note that none of the stakeholders have realized Service Tax so far from customers,” Lachungpa wrote in the letter.
Writing to Railway Minister Mukul Roy and the Minister of State for Railway Bharat Singh Solanki, Lachungpa has asked the Ministry to expedite the Sevoke-Rangpo Railway line connecting Sikkim.
In a separate letter to the Union Minister of state for External Affairs E Ahamed, Lachungpa demanded setting up of a Regional Passport office in Sikkim, the release said.
PTI
