Labour Minister on Sikkim Promotion of Local Employment Bill 2008

BIJOY GURUNG

NEW DELHI, January 19: The Ministry of Labour & Employment today said that it has no knowledge of the Sikkim Promotion of Local Employment Bill 2008 being pursued by the Sikkim government with it.

The Government of Sikkim has not informed us about the Bill which should naturally go to the Law Ministry and the President of India for assent, said Union Labour Minister Malikayun Kharge to SIKKIM EXPRESS during the second day of the ‘10th Editors’ Conference on Social Sector Issues’ organized by Press Information Bureau here at Shastri Bhavan.

There is no intimidation from the Sikkim government on the Bill and I have no information and even the Ministry officials have no knowledge, said Kharge. If the Bill comes to us for review we will look into it but it is wrong information that we are in correspondence with Sikkim government on the Bill presently, he said.

After the Bill was passed in June 10, 2008, it was forwarded to the Governor for recommending assent by the President of India.

The Sikkim Promotion of Local Employment Bill 2008 seeks to bind all private business organizations and companies operating in Sikkim employing more than 10 persons to give 'preference' to bonafide Sikkimese people in employment in 80 percent in its vacancies, job and positions.

However, the then Governor Sudarshan Agarwal had refused to endorse the Bill and had referred it to the President of India for her consideration.