Sikkim CM answers son's questions in assembly

Sikkim Chief Minister P S Tamang, popularly known as P S Golay, on Thursday replied to finance- related questions raised by his son and legislator Aditya in the assembly.

During Zero hour on the fourth day of the ongoing budget session, Aditya sought a reply from Golay about the bad loans of the State Bank of Sikkim.

Golay, who holds charge of the finance department, grabbed attention of the MLAs and officials in the house, as he started replying to questions of the first-term legislator of the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) from Soreng- Chakung assembly segment in West Sikkim.

Golay said State Bank of Sikkim has written off a total of Rs 23.76 crore as bad loan since October 2002 to till date.

Records prior to October 2002 are not available, he said.

Total outstanding loans and advances to individuals and companies stood at Rs. 1693.22 crore in 14,116 accounts as on July 19, 2019, while total advances and cash credit limit given by the bank to the state government and public sector undertakings were at Rs. 386.40 crore, the Chief Minister said.

The demonetised notes, deposited and exchanged in the State Bank of Sikkim, was Rs. 70.73 crore, he said.

Replying to another question by his son regarding the "One Family One Job" scheme, Golay said appointment orders have been issued to 17,306 candidates but there is "no record" how many of them actually had joined the service under the programme.

He also said that "no budgetary provisions" were made for payment of wages of workers to be employed under the scheme by the previous state government.

In January this year, former Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling had launched the scheme which entitles one government job for every family in the state.

Golay also said the tentative payment of monthly salary for those who have been recruited under the scheme was around Rs18.55 crore and the annual expenditure for the same was expected to be around Rs 222.70 crore.