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UNITED NEWS OF INDIA
GANGTOK, Jan 7: Former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma has ruled out any possibility of the Congress aligning with regional parties for the State Assembly polls, slated for November.
Talking to newspersons here yesterday, Sangma, AICC in-charge of the North East, said,``We envisage good poll prospects, but still we have a long way to go. We have another ten months time to organise ourselves before the polls.''
Though confident that the party would make a major impact, he said, ``It is very difficult to say now. There is no point in making tall claims. We have just started our party's mobilisation. A clear picture will emerge only after six months. We will then be able to make a better assessment of our prospects.''
``With campaigning period being limited, we have decided to launch our campaign from the moment our expert committee, consisting of economic experts and couple of leaders from the State, work out a special economic package for Sikkim; which will be the mainstay of our election manifesto,'' hesaid.
``We will not project any political issue as the cause of all political, social and law and order problems in the State reeling under a crippled economy and teething unemployment problem,'' he stated.
Sangma said, ``The Congress had decided to revitalise and reorganise the party in the northeastern states and Sikkim. It had chalked out special economic packages for the remote and backward areas of the Northeast. The party has established a Northeast cell under my chairmanship,'' he said.
He also added, ``A 40-member Parliament team from the north had formed a forum to act as a pressure group in Delhi and in the Lower House. Besides Sikkim's formal inclusion into the North East Council (NEC) will immensely benefit the Himalayan State financially.''
On his party's stance on the implementation of direct central taxes in Sikkim, the AICC Steering Committee Chairman said, ``Since Sikkim is being included in the NEC and the NE states enjoy exemption from income tax, Sikkim should also be accorded thisprivilege by virtue of it being a member.''
``Though the Income Tax Act, 1961, has been extended to Sikkim by an act of Parliament, it should not be implemented in the State. As the people here are already paying taxes under the Sikkim State Income Tax Manual, 1948 there can not be two tax laws for the state,'' Sangma added.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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