CONGRATULATIONS PRANAB AS INDIA'S FINANCE MINISTER

New Delhi Veteran politician Pranab Mukherjee, hailed as one of the five best Finance Ministers in the world in 1984, will re-enter the North Block as Finance Minister of the new Congress-led UPA government.
Often described as a man for all seasons and seen by his party as a trusted trouble shooter, Mukherjee's first task would be to present the budget for 2009-10 and continue the measures to boost the economy reeling under the impact of global financial crisis.
As author of the interim budget for the current fiscal, it would be easier for him to prepare the full budget for the fiscal and ensure continuity in the economic policies and programmes.
The government is required to get the budget passed by Parliament by July 31 as the vote-on-account (which allows government to withdraw money from Consolidated Fund) sought in the interim budget comes to end on July 31.
Mukherjee is a veritable encyclopaedia on Congress movement and has been a minister in all the party governments since the mid-1970s, save the Rajiv Gandhi government between 1984 and 1989.
The eternal 'number two', Mukherjee was a trusted lieutenant of late Indira Gandhi under whom he was the powerful Minister of State for Revenue during the emergency and later became a full-fledged Finance Minister between 1982 and 1984.
Mukherjee, who after a gap of 25 years became the Finance Minister in the previous UPA government, had little opportunity to excel. It was an additional charge for the External Affairs Minister after the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram was shifted to Home Ministry.
The only significant thing he did as the Finance Minister was to present an interim budget for the outgoing government. As Finance Minister in the 80s, he was the boss of the present Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was then the Governor of Reserve Bank of India. Although many thought he would become Prime Minister in 2004, Congress president Sonia Gandhi nominated Manmohan Singh for the responsibility.
Again the top constitutional post is said to have eluded him during the Presidential election in 2007 when Left parties reportedly favoured him but the Congress chose Pratibha Patil.
The 73-year-old leader from West Bengal, who took to politics under the tutelage of late Ajoy Mukherjee of the Bangla Congress, had briefly gone out of the Congress in the mid-1980s in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assassination.
After his reported brush with Rajiv Gandhi, who took over from his mother in 1984, Mukherjee made an exit from Congress and started his own party – Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress – only to merge it with the parent party again in the last years of the former Prime Minister.
From an obscure village in West Bengal's Birbhum district, Mukherjee has risen to become the number two in the corridors of power in Delhi shaping government policies and programmes.
He played an important role in Congress allying with the Trinamool Congress to inflict a humiliating defeat on the CPI(M)-led Left Front in West Bengal.
Mukherjee, who mostly made it to the upper house since 1969 when he first became a Rajya Sabha member, was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Jangipur constituency in Murshidabad district in 2004. He repeated the feat in this elections widening the victory margin to over 1.26 lakhs, from 34,360 in 2004.
He became the Deputy Minister of Industrial Development at the Centre for the first time in 1973 and went on to serve as Minister of State and Cabinet Minister.
Mukherjee was rated as one of the best finance ministers of the world in 1984 and was adjudged the best parliamentarian in 1997.
As Union Commerce Minister, Mukherjee contributed significantly to the negotiations leading to the establishment of the World Trade Organisation. For some time, during the 1990s he had held the dual charge of External Affairs Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.
During the previous stint of the UPA government, as External Affairs Minister Mukherjee played a crucial role in negotiating the nuclear deal with the US and improving India's ties with it, besides mobilising world opinion against Pakistan after the terrorist strike in Mumbai.
He also functioned as the leader of the 14th Lok Sabha. Apart from his assignments in the government, he played a significant role in the Congress as a member of CWC, the highest policy-making body of the party, as treasurer, general secretary, member of central election committee and the central parliamentary board of the party.
He was appointed president of West Bengal Pradesh Congress in 1985, 2000 and again last year when the PCC chief fell ill.
Widely travelled, he led several delegations to important conferences abroad and in the UN General Assembly. Educated at Vidyasagar College, he began his career as a teacher and a journalist and was associated with publications like Desher Dak (Call of Motherland).
Mukherjee has authored several books including Midterm Poll, Beyond Survival, Emerging dimensions of Indian Economy, Off the Track, Saga of Struggle and Sacrifice and Challenge before the Nation.
He was a trustee of Bangiya Sahitya Parishad and president of Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelan. He also served as the chairman of the Planning Board of the Asiatic Society, from 1984-1986 and during 1992-96.

CHAMLING AS CM FOR THE FOURTH TERM

Chamling takes oath as CM for fourth consecutive term


GANGTOK 21 May 2009

A heady mix of old hands, young and fresh faces and women members featured in the 12 member new cabinet headed by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling who was sworn for the record fourth consecutive term today.

Mr. Chamling was sworn into office for the fourth consecutive term this morning by Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh at the Ashirbad bhavan at the Raj Bhavan complex here in the capital.
The Governor administrated the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Chamling as the Chief Minister of Sikkim. The Governor then administrated the oath of office and secrecy to the other 11 cabinet ministers individually.

The new cabinet of Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government was significant as none of the old cabinet members of the last term who were handed tickets and won were retained in Mr. Chamling’s new team.

The new cabinet has seen a total new team which included seven first timers. It follows the model of ‘five old and seven new faces, including two women’ of the Chief Minister but in a slightly different manner.

The difference is that barring the Chief Minister the rest of his 11 cabinet colleagues are either new or making a comeback after a rest.

“It is a hundred percent new cabinet”, said Mr. Chamling later in the evening during a press meet.

Mr. Chamling has retained home, finance, revenue and expenditure, Department of Personnel, Planning and economic reforms, North eastern council and other departments not specifically allocated to any other ministers.

Regarding his decision not to retain the power department which he had held in the previous term, the Chief Minister told SIKKIM EXPRESS that it was done so as he could not given proper time. “It was due to my busy schedule and I have handed the responsibility to a young minister (SG Lepcha). He is from North Sikkim and is well sensitized about the local issues”, he said.
Among the old hands Ran Bahadur Subba, the fourth term MLA who defeated Nar Bahadur Bhandari from Soreng-Chakung constituency in west Sikkim and was a MLA in the last term has been given a cabinet berth with the roads and bridges and labour department in his portfolio.
Thinley Tshering Bhutia also a fourth term SDF MLA from Kabi-Lungchok who was not in the cabinet last term but had previously served as minister has bounced back as the minister for water security and public health engineering and transport departments.

The Speaker of the last Assembly, DN Takarpa who is serving for the second term after winning from Rinchenpong constituency in west Sikkim this time has also been included in the cabinet. He has been handed health care, human security, family welfare, animal husbandry and law and parliamentary affairs departments.

DB Thapa, who was a cabinet minister in SDF’s first term but rested after that and given a ticket and won this time is the new urban development, food and civil supplies minister.
NK Pradhan who has won five consecutive terms but was never in the cabinet was finally rewarded for his perseverance. He has been given in-charge of human resource development, sports and youth affairs and information technology departments.

Next came the youth brigade.

Among these younger lot who were MLAs in the last two terms- Bhim Dhungel, Sonam Gyatso Lepcha and Dawcho Lepcha – have also been made cabinet ministers.
Mr. Dhungel has been handed with the tourism, forest and wildlife management and science and technology departments.

Dawcho Lepcha is the agriculture, food security, horticulture and cash crop and irrigation and flood control minister while Dzongu MLA Sonam Gyasto Lepcha has been handed the departments of energy and power, cultural affairs and heritage.

The rural development department and cooperation departments will be headed by CB Karki, another two term MLA.

Among the two women members who have been made ministers are Tilu Gurung and Neeru Sewa.

Mrs. Gurung has been made the buildings and housing minister and while Miss Sewa will look after commerce and industries, information and public relations, excise (Abkari), printing and stationeries departments.

At 32 years of age, Miss Sewa is the youngest in the Chamling cabinet.

In one of the first notifications of the new government, four newly elected MLAs were also accorded the rank of cabinet minister. They were BS Panth, Prem Singh Tamang, Chandra Maya Subba and LM Lepcha.

Mr. Panth was made the chairman of the Power Advisor Board while Mr. Tamang is the new chairman for Industries, Trade and Commerce Development Board. Similarly, Chandra Maya Subba is the new chairman of State Trading Corporation of Sikkim while LM Lepcha is the new chairman of State Bank of Sikkim and Sikkim State Cooperation Bank.

All the above four have been accorded the status of a cabinet minister.

Meanwhile as per a government notification, former rural development minister KN Rai has been made as the new political secretary to the Chief Minister. Former tourism minister Ram Bahadur Subba is now the legal advisor to the Chief Minister while former health minister Hissey Lachungpa is the political advisor. All three of them have been accorded the status of a cabinet minister.

Tumin Lingi MLA Ugen T Gyatso Bhutia was also appointed as the government chief whip and accorded the status of a cabinet minister.
Similarly, a Speaker Pro-tem will be appointed from the members of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly tomorrow. The Governor will be administrating the oath of office to the Speaker Pro-tem tomorrow at Raj Bhavan.

Mr. Chamling disclosed to SIKKIM EXPRESS on the sidelines of press briefing today evening that Menlom Lepcha will be sworn in as the Speaker Pro-tem tomorrow.

The first session of the Eighth Assembly will be held on May 22 where the Speaker Pro-tem will be administrating the oath to the newly elected MLAs. The MLAs then will elect their Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Mr. Chamling informed that the Speaker to be elected is KT Gyalsten while the Deputy Speaker responsibility will be handed to MB Dahal.

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling

Home, Finance, Revenue and Expenditure, Development Planning, Economic Reforms and North East Council Affairs and other departments not specifically allotted to any other Minister.

Ran Bahadur Subba
Roads and Bridges, Labour

Thinlay Tshering Bhutia
Water Security and Public Health Engineering and Transport

Dawa Norbu Takarpa
Health Care, Human Service and Family Welfare, Animal Husbandry, Livestock, Fisheries and
Veterinary Services and Parliamentary Affairs

Narendra Kumar Pradhan
Human Resource Development, Sports and Youth Affairs and Information Technology

Dil Bahadur Thapa
Urban Development and Housing, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs

Sonam Gyatso Lepcha
Energy and Power, Cultural Affairs and Heritage

Chandra Bahadur Karki
Rural Management and Development, Cooperation

Dawcho Lepcha
Food Security and Agriculture Development and Horticulture & Cash Crops Development, Irrigation and Flood Control

Bhim Prasad Dungel
Tourism, Forest Environment and Wildlife Management, Mines, Minerals and Geology, Science and Technology

Tilu Gurung
Buildings and Housing

Neeru Sewa
Commerce and Industries, Information and Public Relations, Printing and Stationary, Excise (Abkari)

Chairman/Chairperson
BS Panth – Power Advisor Board (Cabinet rank)
PS Tamang – Industries, Trade and Commerce Development Board (Cabinet rank)
Chandra Maya Subba – State Trading Corporation of Sikkim (Cabinet rank)
LM Lepcha – State Bank of Sikkim and Sikkim State Cooperation Bank (Cabinet rank)
Am Prasad Sharma – Sikkim Distilleries
Tshering Wangdi Lepcha – SNT
Puran Gurung – Denzong Agriculture Cooperative Society
PL Subba – Agriculture/Horticulture board
Madan Cintury – Sikkim SC, ST and OBC Development Corporation
Tenzi Sherpa – Khadi and Village industries board
BB Rai – Sikkim Industrial Development and Investment Corporation
Sonam Gyasto Bhutia – Land Use and Environment Board
Phitook Tshering Bhutia – ST Welfare Board
Dorjee Namgyal Bhutia – Sikkim Consumer Cooperative Society

Advisors
Political Secretary to CM – KN Rai
Legal Advisor to CM – Ram Bahadur Subba
Political Advisor to CM – Hissey Lachungpa

CHAMLING TO BRING TAX RELIEF FOR OLD SETTLERS

SIKKIM: Chamling to bring tax relief for old settlers

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Gangtok, May 21: After returning to power for the fourth time, Pawan Chamling will now try to bring cheers to the old settlers in the state.

The chief minister said he would work for providing income tax exemption to the old settlers, comprising mostly the traders, who had been left out of the facility.

“We have started working towards this as the SDF had promised before the elections. We have already started the paper work,” Chamling said following the first cabinet meeting of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government, a day after taking oath.

Last year, central income-tax relief was granted to those who have Sikkim Subject Certificates, an instrument of identification given by the Chogyals to the people. But the non-Sikkimese — about 30,000 people are in this segment and many of them have been around since the time of the king — were not included in the exemption.

S.K. Sarda, the president of the Sikkim Chamber of Commerce, has expressed his happiness over Chamling’s announcement. “This is a great news for us and we are grateful to the chief minister. The business community voted the SDF for an absolute mandate,” he said.

Among the other proposals passed by the cabinet was reservation for Bhutia-Lepchas in the panchayats, government services and in the higher education. Chamling said the Bhutias and the Lepchas comprised 20 per cent of the state’s population and the reservation would be implemented for them. Reservations for OBCs would be 21 per cent and for the Limboos and Tamangs would be 14 per cent in the same fields.

Chamling announced health insurance for all Sikkimese people and bank accounts for every housewife, as promised in the SDF manifesto. “The cabinet has also decided to open a grievance cell for each department,” he said.

The chief minister made a special reference to the verdict given by the voters of Dzongu, a Lepcha reserve and the hotbed of anti-hydel plant protests. “The protests in Dzongu now turns out to be sponsored by vested interests as the people there had voted for the SDF. The verdict is a referendum for the power projects,” he said.

CHAMBER CONGRATULATES DR.PAWAN CHAMLING ON LANDSLIDE VICTORY

PRESS RELEASE
DT 16 MAY 2009

Sikkim Chamber of Commerce congratulates Dr Pawan Chamling- President-Sikkim Democratic Party for a sweeping victory in the Assembly poll 2009. The business community of Sikkim has voted in full strength in favour of the policies and programmes of SDF and its visionary leader Dr Pawan Chamling, as per their promise and commitment to be more responsible and make Sikkim’s economy more vibrant.

Sikkim now enters the diamond age. This victory symbolizes the victory of peace and development. Dr Pawan Chamling enters the 4th term of managing the State of Sikkim.
Now Sikkim will rise up further in all sectors in the field of agriculture, trade & commerce, industry, horticulture, floriculture, tourism, nathula trade, education, health, youth empowerment, rural development and infrastructure.

The business community is now sure that having obtained mandate of the people on issues of their interest, Dr Pawan Chamling, President-Sikkim Democratic Front will soon fulfill their aspirations.

The blessings of Guru Padmasambhava shall remain on us for all ages to come.

( S.K.Sarda)
President
Sikkim Chamber of Commerce
Gangtok

SIKKIM FIRST EVER MARWARI FILM GOES ON FLOOR

Sikkim first ever Marwari film goes on floor
Gangtok (IANS): “Khoto Sikko”, the first Marwari film to be made here highlighting the lives of the migrant Marwari community living in the state for generations, has gone on the floors. Producer-director Rakesh Somani says that the small budget family drama will create ripples at the box office.
“This is the first Marwari film being made by a Sikkimese. Marwari boy Raunak Somani from Gangtok plays the male lead. Sonia Seth, who is from Namchi in South Sikkim, is paired opposite him," Somani, who is also directing the film, told reporters at the mahurat shot of the film Friday.
The film will be shot and made in Sikkim. B.P. Bagjai will work as the assistant director, while camerawork will be handled by Gechen Bhutia.
"The movies that are made in Jodhpur do not appeal to us who live in the Himalayan belt. There are many like us in the northeast region and other places who don't understand the pure language used by the films that come out from Rajasthan. This is our film for our audiences," said Somani, managing direcor of SK Audio vision Pvt Ltd.
Somani plans to wrap up the film this year and will have 80 percent of the shooting in the state. The rest will be shot in Rajasthan, Siliguri and Kakribhitta at Indo-Nepal border.

SERVICE TAX ON SALE OF LOTTERY TICKETS IN SIKKIM

Service tax on sale of lottery tickets

S Madhavan / New Delhi May 11, 2009
In a very recent decision in Union of India Vs. Martin Lottery Agencies Ltd. (2009-VIL-01-SC-ST), the Supreme Court had occasion to deal with some fundamental principles relating to taxation of services.

The issue before the Supreme Court was whether the sale, promotion and marketing of lottery tickets would be exigible to service tax under the relevant provisions of the Finance Act, 1994. The respondents in this case were agents of the state of Sikkim which had floated lottery schemes. Accordingly, the respondents were able to purchase lottery tickets in bulk at a discount to their face value and, in turn, resell these tickets to principal stockists at a different price and thus make a profit out of the difference between the amounts received from the principal stockists and those paid to the state government. The department issued a letter to the respondents requiring them to pay service tax under the category of ‘business auxiliary service’. This letter was impugned before the Sikkim High Court by way of a writ petition and the High Court upheld the writ petition on the ground that since lottery tickets were not goods but were actionable claims, the petitioners could not be said to be rendering any servicein relation to promotion of the client's goods or of marketing or sale of such goods. It hence came to the conclusion that the definition of business auxiliary service was not attracted. It was this order of the Sikkim High Court which was the matter of the appeal in the Supreme Court.

In order to appreciate the subject matter under reference, it is appropriate to extract the definition of business auxiliary service in the service tax law as follows: “Business auxiliary service” means any service in relation to:
(i) promotion or marketing or sale of goods produced or provided by or belonging to the client; or
(ii) promotion or marketing of service provided by the client;

This definition as per Section 65 (19) of the Finance Act, 1994 came into effect from July 2003. Subsequently, an explanation was added to sub clause (ii) of Section 65(19) in May 2008 as follows:-
Explanation — For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that for the purpose of this sub-clause, “service in relation to promotion or marketing of service provided by the client” includes any service provided in relation to promotion or marketing of games of chance, organised, conducted or promoted by the client, in whatever form or by whatever name called, whether or not conducted online, including lottery, lotto, bingo;”
While it was this explanation which was the subject matter of the decision, certain fundamental aspects of taxation of services were taken into consideration as well.
At the outset, the court examined past decisions on the matter and came to the conclusion that a lottery ticket could not be property, either as a thing of value in itself or of title or ownership to anything. It therefore came to the conclusion that on purchasing lottery tickets, a person merely obtained a claim to a conditional interest in prize money that was not in his possession and hence lottery tickets could only be construed as actionable claims and not goods.
Having held so, the Court then asked the question as to whether the state, in organising a lottery, rendered any services to anybody. The Central government argued that this was indeed the case, as a service was undoubtedly rendered to the general public since revenues were generated as a result of the activity of sale of lottery tickets. The Supreme Court did not agree and held that raising of revenues by the State by itself cannot amount to a rendition of service. The Court considered the dictionary meaning of the word ‘service’, which has not been defined in the Finance Act 1994, as follows:
“Work done or duty performed for another or others; a serving; as professional services, repair service, a life devoted to public service. An activity carried on to provide people with the use of something, as electric power, water, transportation, mail delivery, telephones, etc., Anything useful, as maintenance, supplies, installation, repairs, etc., provided by a dealer or manufacturer for people who have bought things from him.”
It held that services provided in respect of the matters envisaged under Section 65(19) of the Act must be construed strictly. Before a tax was found to be leviable, it must come within the domain of legitimate business and/or trade. The Court also considered the United Nations — Central Product Classification (UN — CPC), which contained the description of gambling and betting services and covered the activities of organising lotteries. It also considered whether organising a lottery could fall within the terms 'entertainment' and 'amusement', as provided in Entries 34 and 62 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution, so as to be construed as a service. The Court took note of the fact while the activities of the respondents could amount to a service, in terms of advertisement and promotion of lotteries and other marketing related activities, the definition of ‘business auxiliary service’ required that such promotion and marketing activities should be with regard to the services provided by the cients, in this case the State of Sikkim.
Thus, lotteries themselves had to be construed to be services, if the taxable heading of 'business auxiliary service' were to be attracted. The Supreme Court then held that the rendition of service for the purpose of imposition of service tax was imperative. It must be a part of the economic activity. Economic activity had three characteristics; a­ tax on production; a tax on sales and a tax on services. The concept of the Value Added Tax comes from the generic expression so as to include taxes on services as well.
The court considered all of these principles but was unable to come to a definitive conclusion as to whether organising lotteries would amount to a rendition of service. Since it was unable to do so, it limited itself to thereafter considering the legal implications of the explanation to sub clause (ii) to Section 65 (19). It came to the conclusion in that regard that this explanation, which stated that service in relation to promotion or marketing of services provided by the client would include a service provided in relation to promotion or marketing of lottery, could only be prospective in nature, since it was not at all apparent or clear in law that a lottery was a service and it was only because the explanation held it to be so that the service tax, if at all, would apply to services in relation to promotion or marketing thereto.
The court thereafter came to the conclusion, after an extensive discussion on whether the explanation was a clarificatory or declaratory one in nature, that the explanation had undoubtedly introduced a substantive law. If a substantive law was thus introduced, it could only have prospective effect. It thus held that subject to the constitutionality of the explanation, as to whether it could simply deem the organisation of a lottery to be a service, the service tax in regard to services, in relation to such organisation of lotteries under the relevant heading of business auxiliary services, was only effective from May 2008, when the explanation took effect.
This interesting case is similar to the recent one of the Delhi High Court on renting of immovable property in that the question of whether something can simply be held to be a service, without the requirement of addressing the issue of whether or not the activity in question fell within the dictionary meaning of 'service', was the subject matter of both the above cases. In this present case of course, the Supreme Court has not concluded whether organising a lottery is a service and whether the government can simply deem it to be a service whereas the Delhi High Court had held that renting of property was not a service. It will be interesting to see how these issues are dealt with by the Supreme Court in any future case.

The author is Leader, Indirect Tax Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers
pwctls.nd@in.pwc.com

TOURISTS EVACUATED IN NORTH SIKKIM

Tourists evacuated in Sikkim after landslide

Mangan, Sikkim (IANS): Around 350 tourists who were stranded on Saturday night along the North Sikkim Highway after a massive landslide blocked the road have been evacuated, officials said on Sunday.

The tourists were stranded between Mangan and Lachen and Lachung in remote north Sikkim.
According to the District Magistrate North T.N. Kazi, the landslide had taken place at one place - Langkey Khola about seven km from Mangan - and left about 40 vehicles with tourists stranded on the highway.

The tourists were either turned back to their respective places of origin by their travel operators or taken to safer areas by vehicles, Mr. Kazi said.

Paljor Lachungpa, president of Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS), confirmed that representatives of travel agencies from Gangtok had reached the spot and taken care of the tourists.

"We took back many of the tourists to the hotels they were lodged in at Lachen or Lachung. They were lodged there at no extra cost," said Mr. Lachungpa.

MATHU LA TRADE IN LOW RESPONSE

Nathu La trade draws low response in its fourth season
Nathula, Sat, 09 May 2009 ANI

Nathula (Sikkim), May 9 (ANI): The fourth season of trade between Sikkim and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) through the Nathu La Pass of Sikkim has reflected disappointment among Indian traders who still haven't received travel passes since border trade was opened on May 4.
The travel passes of around 62 Sikkimese traders are still pending with the East district administration which is the prime agency to issue all such passes for the border trade causing a major disappointment.

Anil Gupta, General Secretary of Indo-China Border trade association of Sikkim said, " the low-key inauguration ceremony of May 4 and the delay of travel passes will create a unharmonious situation between the two countries and will refrain Indian traders from visiting the Tibetian side from next year."With the delay of travel passes a bitter international relation will be created affecting the trade. The identity of Sikkim will also be spoiled in the national scenario. The travel passes shouldn't have been delayed as it was declared officially that the international border trade would begin and every thing should have been well organized. Now because our traders can't go there creating a lot of disappointment on their side," he added.
Border trade between the two countries is also sluggish due to restrictions in tradable items. India can import 15 items from China including silk, yak pelts and horses, and export 29 goods that include textiles, tea, rice, vegetables and herbs.
Business people from both sides of the border are seeking a broadening of the list of items traded through the pass.
Kesang Diki, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) commerce official was unsatisfied with the facilities given to them on the Indian side and with the unfavourable weather causing further threat to their goods.
"When the fellow Indian traders come to our place to trade we provide all the basic necessities like carrying the good and picking from the bus stand and keeping inside the stall. We don't let them face problems but out here we face the trouble of carrying our own good to the mart. I also feel that a revamped list of items should be of prior concern if you want a good trade between India and China," she said.
In July 2006, the two Asian giants, re-opened trade across the Nathu La Pass as part of a broader rapprochement. The move marked the first direct trade link between the nuclear-armed neighbours since a bitter border war in 1962.
Under the agreement, trade takes place four days a week - Monday to Thursday - beginning May each year and lasting until November 30 when snow makes the area impassable.
Although two-way trade was slow in the first three seasons, about 1,900 Chinese traders crossed the border separated by a rusty barbed wire marker to the bazaar of Sherathang, five kilometers below the pass on the Indian side. About 1,200 Indian traders headed to the Rinchengang interim market in Tibet on the Chinese side, 16 km from the border, during the first three seasons. (ANI)

NATHU LA TRADE - FOURTH SEASON- INAUGURATED

GANGTOK:4 May 2009:
( Source: The Economic Times)

The fourth year of Indo-China peripheral border trade kicked off on Monday with a ceremony at Sherathang trade mart near Nathula border and Rinchengong trade mart on the Chinese side. Traders on both sides greeted each other and offered khada (silk scarf) and foodstuff.

The state department of commerce and industry officials with director Ujjal Gurung attended the ceremony. Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) personnel handled the entire show at the checkpost and trade mart centre with immigration and customs department of the government of India. President of the Sikkim Chamber of Commerce S.K. Sarda and others were present too. Trade between the two countries will remain open till November.

It is reported that trade at Nathula border has not shown the expected progress as the merchandise listed by both the governments in 1990s has become obsolete now and do not command market demand these days. The other two border trade points in Himachal and Uttarakhand also have been experiencing the same problem. Only one item, silk yarn, is doing well in Sikkim.

In fact, reports pouring in suggest that these three border trade points have now become dens for international smugglers. With the connivance of officials of central agencies, responsible for supervising border trade, unlisted items are entering our country in huge quantities.

When legal trade in Sikkim last year amounted to Rs 96 lakh, smuggled Chinese electronic items saw a hefty business of Rs 15 crore at this border. Government of India has taken some action by suspending and transferring guilty officials who were assigned to monitor the border trade. This has not improved matters so far.

According to reports of central intelligence wings, smuggled Chinese mobile sets have created havoc in the Indian market. It is reported that in the recent Mumbai terrorist attack, Chinese mobiles without any code numbers were found to be used for blasting. The ministry of telecom recently has directed all concerned to ensure that no service providers should issue any SIM card without obtaining the IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) number of the handset. It is observed that for quite sometime, bordering countries are going out of their way to intercept our mobile network. The department of telecom is now taking steps to check that.
bellyad.innerHTML = b2;

CHAMBER DEMANDS REVIEW OF TRADE LIST THRU NATHU LA

SIKKIM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
GANGTOK

PRESS RELEASE DT.1 MAY 2009

Nathu la trade enters the fourth season beginning 4th May 2009 when Department of Commerce, Government of Sikkim is organsing a function wherein traders have been invited to participate in the opening function to be held at Sherathang Trade Mart on the Indian Side. The timing of the programme has been fixed at 9 AM on 4th May 2009.

Around 50 applications have already been submitted at DC office for issue of Trade Pass.
These trade passes are issued to those residents of Sikkim who have got a trade licence issued by Local Self Government, Government of Sikkim. The traders can also get permission to take their vehicle upto Chinese trade post located 14 km down Nathu la..

The participation in the past three years have chiefly been from the residents of border areas of Sikkim. The trade lists which was notified by a public notice No 20(RE-2006)2004-2009 dt 13th June 2006 remains the same even for the current season allowing 15 items for import and 29 items for export from Sikkim,India.

The list remains obsolete

We urge Commerce Ministry to review this list immediately so that a viable and vibrant trade can start over Nathu la.

S.K.Sarda
President
Sikkim Chamber of Commerce
Gangtok

INDO-CHINA TRADE THRU NATHULA TO RESUME ON 4TH MAY 2009L

Gangtok:1 may 2009: Bilateral trade between Asian giants India and China will resume through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim on the famed Silk Route Friday, with the government promising traders a new mart near the border, officials said.
Nathu La is one of the three trading border posts between India and China, the other two being Shipkila in Himachal Pradesh and Lipulekh in Uttarakhand.
While the list of items allowed for the border trade will remain unchanged this season, traders can expect a new trade mart at the border, work on which has already been started, said Sikkim Industries Secretary M.G. Kiran.
"The central government has promised us Rs.8.5 crore ($1.7 million) to construct the mart. Of this, we have already received Rs.1 crore ($202,600)," Kiran said.
He also said the trade mart was coming up at Sherthang near Nathu La pass.
An eight-room hotel is also being built in the area primarily for Indian traders. The state industries authorities are also building a new car park and more shops as part of the mart.
The department is also planning to construct cargo space in view of the expected enhanced volume of trade this year. A check post is being built at the Nathu La border, where immigration and customs checks will be under one roof.
Kiran added that the construction work would be supervised and managed by the roads and bridges department of the state government.
The sluggish border trade between the two countries is due to restrictions in tradable items - India can import 15 items from China including silk, yak pelts and horses, and export 29 goods that include textiles, tea, rice, vegetables and herbs.
However, as the government has now provided most favoured nation (MFN) status to trade through the Nathu La route, the trade volume is expected to increase this season, officials said.
The two Asian giants in July 2006 reopened trade across the 15,000-feet (4,545-metre) Nathu La pass, 52 km east of Sikkim's capital Gangtok, as part of a broader rapprochement.
The move marked the first direct trade link between the nuclear-armed neighbours since a bitter border war in 1962.
Under an agreement reached between India and China, trade takes place four days a week - Monday to Thursday - beginning May each year and lasting until Nov 30, when snow closes down the pass.
Bilateral trade in 2006 through Nathu La saw business worth about Rs.20 lakh ($40,200), with Indian traders doing business worth about Rs.11 lakh ($22,250). In 2007, the volume of trade was to the tune of Rs.26 lakh ($52,100).
Although two-way trade was slow in the first three seasons, last year about 1,900 Chinese traders crossed the border separated by a rusty barbed wire marker to the bazaar of Sherathang, 5 km below the pass on the Indian side. The total trade stood at Rs.96 lakh ($194,400) in 2008.
About 1,200 Indian traders headed to the Renqinggang interim market in Tibet on the Chinese side, 16 km from the border, during the first three seasons. (IANS)

SIKKIM REGISTERS 83% HIGHEST VOTING IN INDIA

Sikkim registers record 83 percent voting

Gangtok, April 30 (IANS) Sikkim registered a record voter turnout of 83 percent Thursday as it held simultaneous assembly elections and balloting for its lone Lok Sabha seat in the third phase of the elections.The percentage Thursday is higher than the 82 percent registered in 1999. The figure had declined to 80 percent in 2004. Sikkim joined the Indian Republic in 1975.
In Thursday’s elections, the West district saw a total voting turnout of approximately 84.16 percent, South district a turnout of 82.38 percent, North district a voting turnout of 81 percent, while the East district witnessed 80 percent.
Chief Electoral Officer T.T. Dorjee said the elections in Sikkim, including for its 32 assembly constituencies, were a “smooth and peaceful affair”.
During the day at some places in the South and West districts, the electronic voting machines (EVMs) had to be changed due to technical malfunction, and due to the bad weather some polling officers could not reach their polling booths on time, delaying voting in some areas.
The CEO also stated here that as of now there were no negative reports from any of the presiding officers which meant that there was no question of re-polling in any of the polling stations.

GANGTOK HILL IN 1910-SOURCE-S.K.SARDA'S ALBUM

saving bank account holders to watch

• Around 41% of India’s population, those that have savings bank accounts with Indian banks will be a happier lot come April 1, 2010. This is considering the RBI’s latest directive to banks who have been asked to calculate interest on savings account balances on a daily basis rather than for the period between 10th and last day of every month as is the ritual now.
  This would mean that you’d get interest even if you keep money in your savings account just for one day in a month. Currently, if you keep money between the 1st and the 10th of a month, but withdraw it after that, you get zero interest even though the bank had your money deposited for nine days. While banks have been opposing such a move arguing that this would involve high levels of computerisation, the fact is that most of them now boast of technology implementation across 100% of their branches. And RBI has taken notice of this fact. .

APPLY 80/20 RULE FOR SUCCESS

Here's a small sampling in Brian's chapter titled:

Apply the 80/20 Rule to Everything. Enjoy!

The 80/20 Rule is one of the most helpful of all concepts of time and life management. It is also called the "Pareto Principle" after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who first wrote about it in 1895. Pareto noticed that people in his society seemed to divide naturally into what he called the "vital few", the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the "trivial many", the bottom 80 percent.

He later discovered that virtually all economic activity was subject to this principle as well. For example, this principle says that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, 20 percent of your products or services will account for 80 percent of your profits, 20 percent of your tasks will account for 80 percent of the value of what you do, and so on. This means that if you have a list of ten items to do, two of those items will turn out to be worth five or ten times or more than the other eight items put together.

Number of Tasks versus Importance of TasksHere is an interesting discovery. Each of the ten tasks may take the same amount of time to accomplish. But one or two of those tasks will contribute five or ten times the value of any of the others.

Often, one item on a list of ten tasks that you have to do can be worth more than all the other nine items put together. This task is invariably the frog that you should eat first.
Focus on Activities, Not AccomplishmentsThe most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous. For this reason, you must adamantly refuse to work on tasks in the bottom 80 percent while you still have tasks in the top 20 percent left to be done.

Before you begin work, always ask yourself, "Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?"

The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue. A part of your mind loves to be busy working on significant tasks that can really make a difference. Your job is to feed this part of your mind continually.

Motivate YourselfJust thinking about starting and finishing an important task motivates you and helps you to overcome procrastination. Time management is really life management, personal management. It is really taking control of the sequence of events. Time management is having control over what you do next. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next.

Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.

Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. They force themselves to eat that frog, whatever it is. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well.

MURTHY OF INFOSYS PLEDGES WEALTH FOR SOCIAL PROJECTS.

Murthys pledge wealth for social welfare projects 20 Apr 2009, 0605 hrs IST, Asha Rai, TNN

Print Email Discuss Share Save Comment Text:

BANGALORE: Taking a leaf out of investment moghul Warren Buffett's social initiatives, Infosys co-founder and chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy and his wife Sudha Murthy intend to give their monies to those working in three sectors - basic healthcare, basic education and basic nutrition. "There are lots of fabulous initiatives in the field being executed by some wonderful people to address the issues that interest us," said Murthy. "So, Sudha and I will give financial help to these people rather than doing it directly." Buffett, the Berkshire Hathaway chairman, has similarly pledged his multi-billion dollar fortune to Microsoft founder Bill and his Melinda Gates' foundation. Although Sudha is also the chairperson of Infosys Foundation, Murthy said they wanted to keep their personal philanthropy separate from the work of the company's initiative. The Infosys foundation is funded by a percentage of Infosys' profits that accrue to it annually. The Murthy family's combined worth as per the latest price of Infosys scrip, is Rs 4,000 crore. The couple is worth Rs 1,750 crore, two-thirds of which belong to Sudha. A larger chunk of Rs 2,250 crore belongs to their two children, Akshata and Rohan. While Rohan is a doctoral student at Harvard University, Akshata is with a clean-tech firm in the US after completing her MBA from Stanford. Murthy's share holding in Infosys is less than 1%. As he's been quietly giving away chunks of it, his equity stake in the company is just 0.56%, and at today's price is valued at Rs 445 crore. Sudha's 1.63% stake is worth Rs 1,300 crore. Murthy has always disclaimed beneficial ownership of shares held by his family. The Murthys also believe in giving away the income generated by their wealth rather than the corpus itself. Their main income would be in the form of dividend from Infosys. Historically, Infosys has been a high dividend paying company so the income generated hitherto has been rather handsome.

INDIA BUSINESS FORUM IN CHINA LAUNCHED BY CII

CII India Business Forum launched in China

[Beijing, 16 April,2009] "A well-functioning financial system is necessary for the revival of the world economy" said Mrs Nirupama Rao, Ambassador of India to China, while delivering the keynote address at the Conference on "Impact of the Global Economic Crisis : Challenges and Opportunities for India and China" organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in association of Embassy of India in Beijing. The event also became the platform for the launch of the India Business Forum (IBF) in China, an initiative of CII."Countries need to have effective credible fiscal stimulus, resumption of credit flows, cleaning up of the balance sheet of the financial institutions to tackle the current economic crisis" observed Mrs Nirupama Rao.

"Protectionism has to be avoided - protectionism in goods as well as services, as also financial protectionism" said Mrs Rao. In this time of global financial and economic crisis, there is need for stronger cooperation and coordination between India and China. The crisis must be turned into an opportunity by tackling it with the key commodity of confidence, opined Ambassador Rao.Both the countries, she added, are convinced of the need for continued and concerted economic liberalization that balances globalization with equitable and balanced growth that benefits the weaker and economically disadvantaged sections of our populations. Because of these strong fundamentals, both India and China has not been affected by the crisis as much compared to the western countries. Both are working together at the G-20 framework to help restore global growth and confidence and to address the systematic risks in the global financial system. The bilateral trade has increased ten-folds in the last six years and China has becomes the largest trading partner for India in 2008. She opined, by 2025, it is highly probable that China-India economic ties through trade, investment and technology linkages may be one of the most important bilateral relationship in the world. There is also a need to rectify the trade imbalance where India's trade deficit stood at USD 11.2 bln in 2008. On Indian side, there is a need to broaden and diversify the export basket. At the same time, India is seeking greater market access for its products where India has competitive advantage. She felt one of the focus areas for India Business Forum should be to address this issue.

Mr Wang Jinzhen, Vice Chairman, China Council for Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) in his inaugural address said that like India, inflicted by the global financial crisis, China's both financial market and real economy has declined. The shutting down of small scale export oriented enterprises and cutting down of work workforce is evident in the fall of bilateral trade by 37% in January 2009 compared to the same period last year. China adopted a proactive fiscal policy and moderately easy monetary policy also introduced ten measures to expand domestic demand and put in place a series of related policies to stimulate the domestic economy, he informed.Mr Wang felt that to minimize damages and achieve early recovery both the Indian and Chinese Government should cooperate closely to enhance Trade Liberalisation and facilitation and eliminate trade barrier and trade protectionism. He also called the non-governmental organizations to play an active role to facilitate enterprises in mutual investment and trade apart from developing a SME network which will help in seeing opportunities in China-India economic interaction.

Earlier, Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII in his welcome address stressed on shifting of "India or China" strategy to "India and China", which will help in deriving benefits from advantages offered by both the emerging economies. He hoped that this Forum will help in bringing together the Industry and economies of both the countries together. IBF, an initiative of CII has been earlier launched in USA, South Africa and Singapore, which is providing an excellent platform for bringing together the various Indian companies based in the country, for better cooperation, networking and knowledge sharing added Mr Banerjee. It will act as a forum for promoting India China trade through collective and consensual approach to common issues. It will also act as a platform for networking with Chinese companies interested in the doing business with India, think tanks and other policy makers in China.

Mr J J Shrikhande, Chairman, CII IBF China also touched upon the various activities the forums intends to take up in the future. One of the key focus areas of IBF will be to work with Embassy and others towards building "Brand India" by creating platforms to showcase the sectoral strengths of India, areas of cooperation for trade and investment and share good practices to learn from each other, he said.The conference was well attended with more than 120 representatives from various Chinese and Indian companies based in China apart from officials from the Government departments and Embassy. The conference also has session focusing on the success stories of Indian companies in China and Chinese companies in India and investment opportunities for Chinese companies in India.

SDF MANIFESTO-2009- PROMISE TO OLD BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF SIKKIM

SDF MANIFESTO 2009

• reservation in education and appointments:

Our Government has strengthened the mechanism of reservation of seats. In the higher education the Old Business Community will be provided 5% reservation.

• Complete safeguard of dignity of Sikkimese Bhutia, Lepcha, Nepali and the_old businessmen and traders.

The first responsibility of our government is to safeguard the identity and dignity of Sikkim and the Sikkimese people. Our government through its pro people policies and programs has won many accolades which has enhanced the image of Sikkim at the national and intern national level.Our business community has contributed immensely toward the overall development of our State. This has been made possible by their hard work in an atmosphere of peace and security which has been provided by our Government. Their hard work has been recognized by our Government and citations and awards have been given to several and old citizens of the community. We will continue to adopt the same policy and shall protect their interest in the State. We will pass a resolution in the Legislative Assembly for exempting them from Central Income Tax for the Old Business Community. Our SDF party has also ratified this stand with the support of the people of Sikkim.In schools and colleges, they enjoy the same privileges at par with other communities in the State. Reservation is granted to them in higher education. The same shall continue.

• Exemption of Central Income Taxes to Sikkimese People

The Sikkim Subject Certificate holders have been exempted from paying Central Income Tax and this demand has been fulfilled by SDF Government during the last term. This achievement can be called historic as the demand was pending for a long time. While protecting this achievement of securing exemption from the Central Income Tax, Our Government has not lost sight of the genuine demand of the Old Business Communities, old residents and Old Government employees, both State and Central. Our Government is seized of this problem and we are going to strongly plead for equal rights of the old business community of Sikkim

• Protection and respect to Old Business Community of Sikkim

The SDF Government has given respect and justice to the old business people of Sikkim along with the rest of the Sikkimese Communities. This community which has contributed a great deal to the overall development of Sikkim has been recognized for the first time by our Government. They have also been given a proper business environment to flourish in a democratic manner and set up. They have been given dignity, respect and rights to live and practice their business in the State. We will continue and ensure that our business community members receive this respect and positive business environment. In addition to other facilities and rights provided to our business community it is the SDF Government which has for the first time provided higher education facilities (quota) for their children. This will continue. They do not have to face any obstruction, disrespect or difficulty in carrying on their business and exercising their fundamental rights.SDF’

MANIFESTO15TH LOK SABHA AND 8TH ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2009

NANO TECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology Business; "The Giant in Dwarfs"
CII and DST will celebrate Indian Nanotechnology Products in near future- T Ramasami Ensure nanotechnology remains valuable for the society, and be an effective media to address the global climatic concern
[New Delhi, 14 April 2009] Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) along with Department of Science & Technology, (DST), Government of India, Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology (GIST) and Tamil Nadu Technology Development Promotion Council has inaugurated the fourth Nanotechnology Conclave 2009, a two-day conference that brings together Nanotechnology experts from across the globe to share their expertise and latest technology advances as well as reflect on the future trends in this field.Nanotechnology with its wide array of applications in the fields of agriculture, textiles, cleaning, housing materials, clean drinking water, etc, has plenty to offer to the business fraternity. A landscape of industry representatives today are talking about creating wealth from the knowledge formed through Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology revenues are estimated to reach $1 Trillion worldwide by 2015. It is often considered as a new revolution, as was the industrial revolution, because nanotechnology manipulates matter at the atomic scale to create new applications in materials, medicine, robotics, electronics and energy.The fastest growing segments of the market are scanning probe microscopes, with a CAGR of 19.4% between 2007 and 2012, and charged particle microscopes with a CAGR from 2007 to 2012 of 9.0%. Optical microscopes are projected to have the lowest growth rate of any major market segment (5.6% CAGR). As a result, charged particle microscopes, which have the largest market share of any product segment, are projected to increase their market share further, from 52% in 2006 to 52.1% in 2012. Optical microscopes are projected to lose market share, from 26.2% in 2006 to 21.9% in 2012. In 2006, semiconductor manufacturing was the dominant end-user market for microscopes, with 31% of the total market, followed by life sciences (27%) and materials (24%), and nanotechnology (10%). Nanotechnology and semiconductor manufacturing are the fastest-growing end-user markets with CAGRs of 19.4% and 10.2% respectively. Speaking at the Inaugural session, Dr. T Ramasami, Chairman, TNTDPC Governing Body & Secretary to Government, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, stated that a lot of efforts are being taken by the Research Community, Academia and Industry, but much of these are not collaborative. He challenged we need to stop working in silos and work together towards effectively translating knowledge generation into wealth generation. Reinstating the huge opportunities created by Department of Science and Technology's NanoMission through which almost Rs 1000 crores is planned to be released over a period of 5 years, he invited the Industry to come forward and take advantage of this opportunity, and evolve more Public-Private-Partnership mode businesses in Nanotechnology. He also challenged the various R&D efforts in Nanotechnology to focus on providing solutions to various social problems. He said that CII has to play an important role in bringing the nanotechnology products to market by working with various stakeholders. He said that CII and DST will join hands together to celebrate Indian Nanotechnology Product in the near future.Dr. V. Rao Aiyagari, Mission Director (Nano Mission) & Head - Science and Engineering Research Council, DST, Government of India said that since 2001, total investments made in Nanotechnology by DST have been $144 million. The eleventh five year plan has dedicated investments worth US$ 200 million for the technology. The department has setup 11 centres of excellence and proposed three institutes on Nanotechnology in Mohali, Bangalore and Kolkata. Dr. Dipankar Banerjee, Chief Controller, R&D (AMS), & Distinguished Scientist, DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, New Delhi stated that India is positioned on the strategic map for Nano products as Indian investments in the technology match that of Ireland, Canada and Switzerland. Mr. Ajai Chowdhry, Chairman, CII National Committee on Technology & Chairman & CEO, HCL Infosystems Ltd, stated that Nanotechnology is already being applied in industrial applications, production technology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, agriculture, transportation and electronics among others. It is yet to come of age, and presents huge scope for business. Market for Nanotechnology is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 33% between 2008 and 2015. In the welcome remarks, Dr. M Vidyasagar, Chairman, Nanotechnology Conclave 2009 & Executive Vice President, TATA Consultancy Services, listed Nanotechnology amongst the genre of Information Technology and Biotechnology. He believes that Nanotechnology is going to be an important activity for future. His opined that as Nanotechnology needs capital, it is yet to make much impact on business prepositions. He remained optimistic about India forging an effective identity for Nanotechnology products, given proactive initiatives taken by the Government and industry. Prof. Kurt E. Geckeler, Chair, Department of Nanosystems Engineering (DNE) Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) suggested that Nano materials have become the driving force for the world, despite the ongoing downturn. Industry must maintain a constant dialogue with science and engineering fraternity, to keep up with leading performance in this field. Summing up the Inaugural session, Mr. Anjan Das, Sr. Director & Head - Technology & IPR, CII said that CII, along with DST will look forward to celebrating Industry-Academia joint research in the future Nanotechnology Conclaves. He stressed on the serious need for shaping innovative PPP business models in Nanotechnology, as hinted by Dr. Vidyasagar, Chairman, Nanotechnology Conclave 2009 & Executive Vice President, TATA Consultancy Services.

INSPIRING QUOTES

A quote says:

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
it's about learning to dance in the rain!"

Another quote from Sarah Breathnack ...

"When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present....we experience heaven on earth."

Resolution will be passed at Sikkim Legislative Assembly for I T exemption- Chamling

RANGPO, April 13: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today announced that his government will provide 15 percent reservation to Limboo-Tamang communities in government service and in Panchayati Raj.

Addressing a public meeting as part of the party’s election campaign, he said LTs were accorded the Scheduled Tribe status during the SDF regime and that the seat reservation would also be done by the SDF government.

Stressing developing activities as the basis of the party, SDF chief also said that
resolution will be passed at Sikkim Legislative Assembly for exemption of Central Income Tax Act to all the old business communities of Sikkim.

On the developmental front, Mr Chamling said that 10 percent of the total State budget would be used for capacity building programme.

Regarding West Pendam, the SDF chief promised to immediately solve the water problem faced by the residents. The beautification of West Pendam and its sewerage problem may be given priority, he said. He added that the 91 families whose houses were dismantled by the forest department will be given the site and loan in low interest rate.
Talking about development in Rangpo, Mr Chamling said the border town was fully developed as far as economic sector was concerned with a number of industrial units set up in the area. He said that a double lane national Highway and a new alternative road from Sikkim to Siliguri via Chalsa is under process. The Pakyong Airport may be completed within 34 month, the CM added.

Also present were MLA Somnath Poudyal, SDF candidate for West Pendam Constituency Niru Sewa, SDF Lok Sabha candidate PD Rai, youth secretary GM Gurung (Ranpgo), general secretary SK Pradhan, vice-president Dr. DP Kharel and other party leaders, supporters and the general public.

Source: Sikkim Express
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Congress makes poll promises on Income Tax in its manifesto

Congress makes poll promises on Income Tax in its manifesto

Staff Reporter

GANGTOK, April 13: The Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) has singled out the Income Tax exemption issue as the most prominent agenda of the party in the coming Assembly elections in Sikkim.
“The discrimination made by the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government on the income tax exemption issue to the old business community and non Sikkim subject holders is our chief agenda for the upcoming Assembly elections”, said SPCC president Nar Bahadur Bhandari while releasing the party manifesto today at the party headquarters here in Gangtok.
Mr. Bhandari vowed to return back the Income Tax Act that has been implemented since 2008 in Sikkim. We will restore our old law of Sikkim, the Income Tax Manuel Act of 1948 when we form the Congress government, he said.
The Congress manifesto states that the old laws of Sikkim will be implemented on all communities of Sikkim including the business and government employees as the direct taxes have been implement in an illegal manner in Sikkim by the SDF government.
“The old business community and a section of State government employees have been given Constitutional injustice. The Congress government will give justice”, the manifesto reads.
The Congress party also committed to conduct fresh delimitation in Sikkim to provide reservation to Limboo and Tamang communities and for the Nepali communities in the State Assembly. The manifesto reminds that only Congress party can deliver political rights to the Limboo Tamang communities.
The delimitation will be also conduct to provide justice to the old business community who has been given a raw deal by the 2006 delimitation where the business community dominated areas have been reserved for SC and ST communities.
The Congress party has also committed for declaring a cut off year to prevent influx in Sikkim.
The Congress party has also pledged in the manifesto that it not politicize the Panchayati Raj Institution in Sikkim and added that it will give pension and certificate to the retired Panchayats.
Targeting the youths who form 40 percent of voters in Sikkim, the Congress party promised to provide them employment and priority in all private business sectors including contract works. The Bhoomiputra (sons of soil) policy will be implemented in Sikkim and there will be a government employee in each house in Sikkim, the party promised. The Bhoomiputra policy will be implemented in all the Central establishments, national banks, private companies and industries during the Congress government, the party said.
“We will give direct democracy to Sikkim people. All voters in Sikkim will be entitled to equal share in all the Central and State schemes. We will maintain uniform treatment to all in Sikkim”, said Mr. Bhandari.
‘Bikash Patrika’ (development document) occupies a major portion in the 38 pages Congress manifesto. The Congress party said that it will give the Bikash Patrika to all the BPL families in Sikkim which will provide government largesse and benefits to them at their doorsteps during the Congress government.
Those holding Bikash Patrika will not have to pay electricity bills while those without this document will have to pay power bills at Rs. 2 per unit. Water will be supplied free in all rural areas while only low charges will be there in urban areas, the manifesto promises.
The Congress government will also shut down all lottery shops, discos, casinos and other gambling dens, the manifesto states. The party also promised a monthly starting salary of Rs. 3600 to each labourer while the salary of the workcharged employees will be enhanced to Rs. 6000 besides a grant of Rs. 10,000 after they retire. The Home Guards will get a monthly salary of Rs. 9000 besides getting opportunities in the vacant posts of Sikkim police, the manifesto commits.
Even if a government employee does not get promoted, his or her salary will be increased, Congress said.
Congress candidate for the Lok Sabha seat KN Upreti said that the party has tried its best to include all the aspirations and dreams of the poor people of Sikkim in the party’s election manifesto released today.
“Most of the points mentioned in the manifesto reflects the aspirations of the Sikkimese people and also includes where the SDF government has failed”, said Mr. Upreti.
Chamling announces to provide 15 % reservation to LTs in government service & Panchayati Raj
‘Resolution will be passed in SLA to exempt all business communities from IT’

INDIA AND CHINA BY 2025- US INTELLIGENCE VIEW

Vice President releases the book ‘Challenge and Strategy – Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13:51 IST
The Vice-President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari released the book titled ‘Challenges and Strategy: Rethinking India’s Foreign Policy’ authored by Shri Rajiv Sikri, former IFS Officer at a function here today. Addressing on the occasion, he said that in a changing world, foreign policy tactics have to remain flexible. The National Intelligence Council of the United States, in its scenario building for 2025, states that in the next ten years China and India are expected to achieve near parity with the US in two different areas: India in scientific and human capital and China in government receptivity to business innovations. We therefore have to be patient and diligent, work our way up, and not be overtly anxious to get there prematurely.

The Vice President opined that most foreign policy analysts seem to overlook domestic factors and constraints. The pace of our progress would also depend on the speed at which we overcome domestic strives that retard our progress. These questions cannot be wished away; to do so successfully, we have to keep in mind and implement the basic principles of the Indian polity.

The book examines India’s current and looming foreign policy challenges from a strategic and policy oriented perspective. It analysis the long term factors and trends that should determine the country’s foreign policy formulation.

Following is the text of the Vice President’s address:

“Ambassador Sikri has written a book that compels introspection. His basic premise is that the world has changed and continues to change. India’s capabilities and capacities have also changed and are changing. This requires rethinking policy objectives and the methodology for attaining these objectives.

Sikri analyses India’s position in the world in terms of an arc of prosperity to the east, an arc of energy to the west, and an arc of instability extending from West to Central and South Asia. Cutting across there are vital sea lanes and communication channels. His suggestion is that India should be a major player in the complex geo-strategic game that is unfolding. He proposes that India ‘must play its role as conscience keeper of the world,’ and do so by ‘looking beyond the West and its troublesome neighbours like Pakistan and China and find its niche in the world.’

In general terms, Ambassador Sikri’s thesis may be optimistic, even idealistic. For one, states are propelled by Machiavellian impulses and cannot be conscience keepers. Professed nobility of sentiments and piety in purpose generally camouflages more mundane objectives. On specifics, however, he does identify lacunae in the approach that seems to have prevailed in the recent past. One example of it is West Asia; another is Central Asia.

An impression seems to have gained ground that West Asia, particularly the Persian Gulf region, is good for certain purposes only. These are (a) energy supplies (b) employment for our nationals (c) a limited amount of off-shore business. The wider strategic aspects of relationship with a region in proximate neighbourhood appear to have been put aside.

A case in point is Gulf security. The present arrangement of competitive security, based on inclusion and exclusion, is inherently unstable and is increasingly being recognised as such. Sikri suggests an ARF-like approach and proposes a Gulf Regional Forum for dialogue on the question.

In December 2005 a GCC foreign minister suggested a three-pronged gulf security framework. The first would be GCC, Yemen, Iraq and Iran as regional pillars; the second would be a unanimous Security Council guarantee for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Gulf Countries; the third is to strengthen the international component and necessitate engagement with ‘the emerging Asian powers, especially China and India.’

The proposal hints at an Indian role. This should be premised on our core concerns: (a) stability in the littoral states (b) freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz (c) security of sea lanes (d) availability of an interdiction capacity to safeguard Indian shipping. An essential prerequisite for such an engagement would be more vibrant political relations with all the states of the Persian Gulf littoral.

The book has a number of interesting insights on economic diplomacy and energy security. The chapter on ‘US and Nuclear Issues’ offers on pages 185-188 a perception somewhat at variance with the public picture.

In a changing world, foreign policy tactics have to remain flexible. The National Intelligence Council of the United States, in its scenario building for 2025, states that in the next ten years China and India are expected to achieve near parity with the US in two different areas: India in scientific and human capital and China in government receptivity to business innovations. We therefore have to be patient and diligent, work our way up, and not be overtly anxious to get there prematurely.

One last point. Most foreign policy analysts seem to overlook domestic factors and constraints. The pace of our progress would also depend on the speed at which we overcome domestic strives that retard our progress. These questions cannot be wished away; to do so successfully, we have to keep in mind and implement the basic principles of the Indian polity”.


***********

SDF MANIFESTO 2009- PROMISE TO OLD BUSINESS COMMUNITY OF SIKKIM

SDF MANIFESTO 2009


• reservation in education and appointments:

Our Government has strengthened the mechanism of reservation of seats. In the higher education the Old Business Community will be provided 5% reservation.

• Complete safeguard of dignity of Sikkimese Bhutia, Lepcha, Nepali and the_old businessmen and traders.

The first responsibility of our government is to safeguard the identity and dignity of Sikkim and the Sikkimese people. Our government through its pro people policies and programs has won many accolades which has enhanced the image of Sikkim at the national and intern national level.

Our business community has contributed immensely toward the overall development of our State. This has been made possible by their hard work in an atmosphere of peace and security which has been provided by our Government. Their hard work has been recognized by our Government and citations and awards have been given to several and old citizens of the community. We will continue to adopt the same policy and shall protect their interest in the State. We have passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly for exempting them from Central Income Tax for the Old Business Community. Our SDF party has also ratified this stand with the support of the people of Sikkim.

In schools and colleges, they enjoy the same privileges at par with other communities in the State. Reservation is granted to them in higher education. The same shall continue.

• Exemption of Central Income Taxes to Sikkimese People

The Sikkim Subject Certificate holders have been exempted from paying Central Income Tax and this demand has been fulfilled by SDF Government during the last term. This achievement can be called historic as the demand was pending for a long time. While protecting this achievement of securing exemption from the Central Income Tax, Our Government has not lost sight of the genuine demand of the Old Business Communities, old residents and Old Government employees, both State and Central. Our Government is seized of this problem and we are going to strongly plead for equal rights of the old business community of Sikkim.


• Protection and respect to Old Business Community of Sikkim

The SDF Government has given respect and justice to the old business people of Sikkim along with the rest of the Sikkimese Communities. This community which has contributed a great deal to the overall development of Sikkim has been recognized for the first time by our Government. They have also been given a proper business environment to flourish in a democratic manner and set up. They have been given dignity, respect and rights to live and practice their business in the State. We will continue and ensure that our business community members receive this respect and positive business environment. In addition to other facilities and rights provided to our business community it is the SDF Government which has for the first time provided higher education facilities (quota) for their children. This will continue. They do not have to face any obstruction, disrespect or difficulty in carrying on their business and exercising their fundamental rights.


SDF’ MANIFESTO
15TH LOK SABHA AND 8TH ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2009

TAX EXEMPTION TO BUSINESS COMMUNITIES PROMISED BY SDF CHIEF

JORETHANG :10th April 2009
Source:Sikkim Express)

The election trail of Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party could not have a better opening as a regional party, Sikkim Progressive Party (SPP) joined the ruling party in totality during today’s inaugural election campaign of the SDF at Jorethang in South Sikkim.

SPP president Sher Hang Subba was inducted into the SDF party along with his 1100 supporters by the SDF president and Chief Minister Pawan Chamling who was kickstarting the SDF party’s election campaign from today.

Interestingly, Mr. Subba had as recently as on April 3 had announced several candidates including himself for the upcoming polls in the State.

The uniqueness of the SDF’s first election cry towards a record breaking fourth consecutive term was evident throughout the daylong session. Firstly, there were not much hullabaloo or people jostling for space in queues to receive the Chief Minister as he drove close to the podium in a private vehicle, a white SUV Toyato Prado with the SDF flag mounted atop the bonnet.

And, unlike his previous marathon speeches, the Chief Minister limited to speech to just 2 hours wrapping the Day One of the SDF’s election trail at around 3.30 pm giving ample time to the mammoth gathering from all parts of the State to reach their homes by the evening hours.

Chamling who was dressed in a casual beige jacket and was accompanied at the dais by the SDF Lok Sabha candidate PD Rai and was seated just 12 people on the dais including Speaker DN Takarpa, the SDF state level campaign committee chairman DD Bhutia, the other four members and the incumbent legislator from Jorethang, KN Rai.

All others including the new party candidates and the outgoing legislators were seated in an enclosure that had theatre style seating facing the dias.

Addressing the mammoth gathering of SDF workers at Jorethang ground, Mr. Chamling gave a detailed account of the developmental achievements of his SDF party for the past 3 terms in government while pledging to give continuity to the developmental activities in order to bring them to a logical conclusion.

“Quality education, tourism and health will be the key sectors which we will focus on after forming the next government. “It is our vow and commitment to continue the developmental works and programes being carried out by the party in the past 15 years and bring them to a logical end. Our politics just does not end with elections, fight it and win it but it is in fact a mission to reach our goals and targets”, said Mr. Chamling while presenting the party’s agendas and poll promises.

Mr. Chamling appealed the people to vote for SDF not for its face value but for the innumerable developmental activities that the SDF government has done in the past 15 years.

Most of Mr. Chamling’s address focused only on the SDF’s dreams for Sikkim Nirman and uplifting the poor people. “I can understand the pain and problems of my people”, he said.

As promised during the party’s election manifesto release occasion on April 4, the SDF chief did not indulge in any opposition battering but instead chose to highlight the SDF party policies and programmes for the Sikkimese people. However, he could not help himself in claiming that the opposition parties will not win even a single constituency in the upcoming elections in Sikkim.

Stating that his government wants to build a strong human resource in the State, Mr. Chamling promised to allocate 10 percent of the State’s annual budget for the human resource development programmes in Sikkim. Educated youths will be provided with various kinds of skill developmental programmes in the country and abroad, he said.

SDF government wants to make the youths only degree holders but will also empower them with skills, said Mr. Chamling.

The SDF president also promised to regularize all the ad-hoc teachers of the State while the entire Muster Roll employees will be regularized in their respective departments in the next SDF government.

The next SDF government will focus on institutionalizing quality education in the State and all the government education institutes as capable and good as public schools, said Mr. Chamling. He promised that the SDF government will provide 100 percent financial assistance to the students who gets admission in the top 20 universities of the world and also assured of all possible help for those students who want to take admission in the renowned schools, colleges and the universities of the country.

On the tourism sector, Mr. Chamling said that his next government will focus on promoting village tourism along with cultural and traditional tourism in Sikkim.

While reminding the Sikkimese people about the income tax exemption delivered by the SDF government, Mr. Chamling promised to deliver similar exemption to the business community of Sikkim in the next SDF government.

BAGDOGRA-BANGKOK SERVICE FROM APRIL 18, 2009

GANGTOK: 4th April 2009.

Royal Bhutan airline Druk Air, popular known as the wings of Dragon, is going to launch twice-a-weekly service from Bagdogra to Bangkok.

The inaugural flight will be launched on April 18,2009.

According to the new schedule, flights will take off from Bagdogra on Tuesday and Saturday and return on Wednesday and Sunday, charging Rs 6,000 one way to Bangkok or Rs 10,000 both ways, excluding Rs 250 and other service charge.

The charge for Bagdogra to Paro, Bhutan, would be Rs 2,000 plus Rs 250. Passengers from Bagdogra will get enhanced connectivity from Bangkok to several destinations across North America, Europe, Asia and West Asia. The 114 passengers will fly by A319 Air Boeing with enough cargo space.

According to CEO Tandin Jamso, Druk Air, which celebrated silver jubilee last year has decided to buy one more Boeing aircraft and one at least will be taken on lease. Though they are running seven linkages with India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Thailand, attempts are on to expand Druk Air services to Hong Kong, Singapore and many other places like Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.

Sikkim airport is likely to be commissioned by July 2011.

Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) general secretary Lukendra Rasaily welcomed the new service, saying it would change the face of tourism in the region.

“The new air service will also help international tourists to come to Sikkim via Bangkok,” he said.

Sikkim Tourism Secretary S.B.S. Bhadauria, who was also present at the press conference, expressed hope that the new service would help increase the international tourist inflow to Sikkim and the entire region.

He also urged the Druk Air management to complete the required formalities in advance so that it can start flying the Sikkim circuit soon after the airport here becomes operational.

Currently, the nearest airport to Sikkim is Bagdogra, 124 km from here.

Jamso assured that Druk Air would be the first airline to start operations in Sikkim once the airport is ready.

Sikkim Chamber of Commerce has congratulated Druk Air of launching Bagdogra-Bangkok service. It will bring more tourists to Sikkim and it will provide route to explore Sikkim’s organic products, flowers in South East Asia. It will provide easy route for travellers of this region who want to go Eastwards in the Globe.

PM TALKS WITH IAS PROBATIONERS 2008 BATCH

Text of the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh’s address to the IAS Probationers 2008batch in New Delhi 4TH aPRIL 2009:

“I am very happy to interact with you in this golden jubilee year of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy and what your Director has told me of the composition of this Batch of the IAS Probationers fills my heart with joy. That you have the largest number of women as part of this team, that a very large number of probationers have professional background. I think this augurs well for the future of our country. You are a very privileged Service. And when I look at the history of India, I marvel at the wisdom of great men and women who wrote the Constitution of India. They recognised that India would need an All India Service to keep India as one large common market, as a Union which would have in it mortal unity in diversity.

We are of course, a parliamentary democracy and peoples’ representatives are the ultimate masters of policy planning, policy making and policy implementation. But we all know the various trends and tendencies in our political life. Today, our national polity faces a great threat of fragmentation. And in this background, there is more than ever before a need for a Service like the Indian Administrative Service with an All India perspective, committed to goals and ideals enshrined in the Constitution of India in the chapters on Fundamental Human Rights, in the chapter on Directive Principles of State policy and a Service which serves of course in States. And India of course lives in States. But we are a Union of States and we must never forget this all India perspective. When you go to various States, you are incharge of various departments, you look after the interests of your departments, the interests of your States but you must never lose sight of the wider perspective that there is a wider perspective of strengthening the unity and integrity of our country which must be the paramount concern of all Services in our country and foremost of a Service like the Indian Administrative Service.

During the British times, revenue collection, maintenance of law and order were the primary concerns of the administrators. But since then, our Constitution makers and our people have entrusted more and more functions to the Government and development and inclusive development which takes into account the interest of all segments of our population, an inclusive development which pays particular attention to the interests and well being of the most under privileged sections of society, the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities and women and children and therefore it is your bounden duty as the servants of the people of India to pay particular attention to these concerns of development.

Development with a human touch, development which pays attention to the well being of all sections of society, a development process which is forward looking, which looks to the future of India with hope, with confidence and yet it is mindful of the pitfalls that might derail this process. And in all these, it is very important that you must pay particular attention to equipping yourself with latest trends in thinking about development, about environment and all other aspects which have a bearing on the processes of governance. Today, the world is changing at a pace which was unthinkable even a decade ago. Science and Technology have become the principle determiners of the wealth and well being of people all over the world. Human knowledge is therefore exploding and it is therefore very important that our Civil Servants should keep abreast of the latest trends in the development of human knowledge, knowledge which as I said is growing at a speed which was unthinkable even a decade ago. In all these, it is essential that our civil servants should be mindful of the concerns about what makes for balanced, equitable development. India is a country where 65% of people still live in rural areas. Therefore the development of agriculture, the development of rural areas, the well beings of all those who are connected with rural activities, is of paramount importance. We have decentralised the governance processes, we have now in most States , a three tier system of governance. You have the Central Government, you have the State Government, you have the Panchayati Raj institutions. It is therefore incumbent on the civil servants to work with all the three tiers of public administration with dedication. You would be working in the first few years of your life at the district level. Therefore you will come in contact with peoples’ representatives who are represented in various Panchayati Raj institutions. You must learn to win their affection and respect. You must guide them. You must at the same time, warn them of the pitfalls that have to be avoided. And district collectors have enormous responsibilities in our system. Apart from the maintenance of law and order, sustained development through district level development agencies, district planning is an equally important part of the work of district collector. And therefore what goes in the name of economic and social planning must engage your attention all the time. And as I said, planning has to take into account of the fast changing circumstances. There is the concern about environment, that development has to be environment friendly, there are concerns arising out of the challenges that we have to face when disaster overtakes us, therefore, issues concerning management of disaster have to figure as importantly in your programme, in your training, in your understanding of development processes as processes of development.

As I said, since agriculture and rural development account for nearly 70% of our people, rural development and agricultural development and all the various elements which go to make for balanced rural and agricultural development must play a prominent role in your training, in your thinking, in your education and that is the one thing which I would impress upon you that you must never forget that you are privileged to be the servant of the people of India. Also I would urge you to take account of the challenges that we face as a nation. There are today forces which seek to destabilise our economy and our polity. There are threats of terrorism. There are threats of naxalism. We must understand the ferocity of these disturbing, disruptive elements and we must devise ways and means how we can equip our economy, polity to meet the challenges of terrorism, to meet the challenges of naxalism and simultaneously we must also recognise that communalism and religious hatred can be a very disruptive element and therefore, as public servants we must be alive to the dangers of communalism, of casteism, of regionalism. We work in States, we work in regions, the development of various States and regions is no doubt the primary responsibility of civil servants working there but you must never forget the wider entity called the Union of India. You are Secretaries to various departments, but you are first Secretaries to the Government and the Government you must view as a collective, cohesive entity. And therefore I would urge you that your thought processes preserving the unity and integrity of India must have the top most priorities along with the challenges of development.

Governance is a buzz word today. There are many areas where governance is not keeping in contact with the requirements of the situation. There is growing concern about corruption in public life. There is growing concern that civil servants are not mindful of their duties. I would therefore urge that you must be mindful of the fact that the people of India have entrusted you these responsibilities and it is your solemn obligation to serve the people with the greatest dedication. Furthermore, I would urge you to be mindful of the developments that are taking place around our neighbourhood. We are today faced with a neighbourhood which is far from peaceful. You all know about the developments in Pakistan. You all know about the developments in Nepal, you all know about the recent developments in Bangladesh, you all know about the recent developments in Sri Lanka. They all impinge on our development. South Asia is in turmoil. And therefore in planning for our own development, we have to be mindful of the environment within which we have to operate. So you have enormous opportunities but also enormous challenges and I have every reason to believe that the training that you have received at the Academy will equip you to discharge your functions with great credit to yourself, to the Academy, to your parents and to your country at large.

I have great pleasure in welcoming you to the Prime Minister’s House and I wish you all Godspeed in your career.”

****