Former Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Chamling on January 20 promised to pay enhanced wages with arrears to the labourers employed by government departments if Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) comes in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Chamling further accused the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) government of doing injustice to the labourers of its departments for keeping these labourers away from revised wages.
''The SKM government has done injustice to the labourers of government departments by not paying them revised wages as compared to those employed in private companies. The government should have first implemented the new minimum wages for their labourers,'' Chamling said while addressing the villagers of Daring during his 'Sikkim Bachao' campaign at Temi-Namphing constituency in South Sikkim.
It is worth mentioning that as per the revised wages under Minimum Wages Act enforced last July, the private companies in Sikkim are paying Rs 15,000 as minimum monthly salaries to their workers.
However, as per Chamling, the same has not been implemented for the labourers working for various government departments.
''Despite the notification which has been issued in this regard, the SKM government is doing great injustice to these labourers by not paying them the enhanced wages immediately after the notification was issued,'' he added.
The former CM also urged people to vote for them and help them in coming to power.
''16 months are left for the next Assembly elections. Return our party to the government and on the same day the revised salaries along with arrears will be given,'' he said.