Saturday, April 2, 2011

SDF takes exception to SHRA appeal for exemption

GANGTOK, 01 April: The Sikkim Democratic Front has strongly opposed what the party has branded as “irresponsible statements” made by the Sikkim Hotel & Restaurant Association [SHRA] in response to the Sikkim Bandh called by the SDF. The party has taken exception to the ‘negativity’ it perceives in the SHRA appeal seeking exemption for the tourism sector from the SDF-sponsored bandh.
It has to be recalled that the SHRA had appealed the ruling party to exempt hotels, travel agencies and tourist vehicles from the purview of the bandh yesterday [read NOW! issue dated 01 April 2011].
An SDF press releases issued by its publicity secretary, Prem Karki, has demanded that the association first present the exact figure of Sikkimese employed in the hotel industry before claiming that the sector had satisfactory presence of Sikkimese in its employment rolls.

The release further claims that it was only after SDF secured the mandate of the people and formed the State Government here that the investment-friendly environment it created led to the prospering of industries, including hotels and tourism in the State.
Having the full responsibility to secure the future of the people, the party has now called this 48-hour bandh after seeing the injustice and partiality inflicted on local candidates in the private sector, the release explains.
The release states that the claim of the SHRA president, Bhanu Pratap Rasaily, on the priority given to locals in the tourism sector was “irresponsible” as the All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front has already surveyed the sector and noticed less than desirable presence of local employment in the hotel sector.
The release, inferring that the SHRA appeal was argued from the point of financial losses suffered by the hotel industry in the event of bandhs, has dismissed it as a “baseless contention” of Mr Rasaily which revealed the “greed” behind the appeal.
The SDF has further suggested that the SHRA first study the reasons why the bandh has been called before issuing any “irresponsible statements” on “serious issues” concerning the future generations.
The release further announces that during or after the bandh, frontal organizations of the SDF will visit every hotel and tourism-related organization in Sikkim to verify Mr Rasaily’s claim on adequate local presence in the hotel sector.
The party has further countered that even though the SHRA was seeking exemption now, it has never spoken out in the past when Sikkim was shut out due to natural disasters or bandhs in the neighbouring hills.
The party has further stated that instead to opposing the bandh, it would be wise for every organization to support it because the strike was for the future security of the Sikkimese people.

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