Teesta Urja sale over Rs 1 lakh crore Sikkim’s greatest loss, says Pawan Chamling

Former Sikkim Chief Minister and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) President Pawan Chamling launched a sharp attack on the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) on the occasion of SDF’s 33rd foundation day. He criticized Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and his government over multiple issues, including the sale of Teesta Urja, which he termed as the "greatest loss for the Sikkim government after selling Teesta Urja amounting to more than Rs 1 lakh crore." Chamling alleged that the deal was a massive financial blow to the state and questioned the government's intent behind the decision.

Chamling also accused the SKM government of failing to secure tribal status for 12 left-out communities. He claimed that SKM deliberately does not want these communities to receive tribal recognition, as it benefits them politically. "They just want to keep this issue ongoing and use it to blame the opposition. The truth is, they do not want these 12 communities to get tribal status," he said. He further alleged that if the issue was resolved, the ruling party would lose its opportunity to target the opposition.

The SDF leader also took a swipe at the SKM government on the issue of Limboo-Tamang seat reservation. Chamling said his party had worked sincerely towards securing reserved seats for the Limboo and Tamang communities. "We initiated the process, but now SKM is taking credit for it. We prepared the ground, and they just walked in," he said.

Chamling also criticized SKM for changing its stance on party-based Panchayat elections. "First, they said there should be no party-based Panchayat elections, and now they are saying the opposite. This proves that they were wrong and we were right," he added.

Reflecting on his tenure, Chamling said that for 25 years, the central government did not pay attention to SDF, but the party remained committed to Sikkim’s development. He announced that SDF would now take a new approach and transform itself from its 33rd foundation day.

Looking ahead, Chamling said the SDF is on a mission to develop 1,000 tourist destinations in Sikkim, aiming to boost the state’s economy and create new opportunities for the people.