“Press release issued by IT Department is nothing but a cover-up to hide their mistakes”; SNS

Press Release

Point wise rebuttal to the press release issued by Secretary, Information Technology, Governement of Sikkim.

1. The claim of land at Namli lying vacant is absurd because the land is already being occupied by the Mesaso Infrastructure Private Limited.
2. The land at Namli, Marchak is specifically leased out to Information Technology Department for the development of IT Parks by Commerce and Industries Department. As such, do the lease agreement allows the rental of the land to third party at the whimp and fancy of the IT Department? Is there a provision within the agreement of IT Parks to rent out land to third party?
3. How can any private company misuse the public land even before getting approval/permission from the State Government? Your press release states that the vacant land was proposed to be given out on rent, which means that the written permission is yet to be given. Is the IT Department leaving a precedence that any company/individual can misuse public land just by writing an application to the Department? How much rent does the IT Department has fixed for the land? What is the area of the land given to Mesaso company? Have they made any advance payment to the Department? Is the Mesaso company misusing the land just on verbal assurances from corrupt babus and politicians?
4. As per the PPP module it is for the company to manage storage, disposal and construction and not IT Department. Why is IT Department advocating in favour of Mesaso Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.? Are they on a payroll of Mesaso?
5. The Mesaso is using heavy earthmover machines in the said land and many trees were felled and disposed off. IT Secretary be be reminded that Mesaso is misusing the land for more than a month now. We request IT Secretary to visit the land and see for himself if the trees are felled or not.
   In both our complaints to authority and during the press conference we have categorically mentioned that SEZ land at Namli being unlawfully taken over by Mesaso Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. and not as a party and person as mentioned by IT Secretary in his press release.

Sikkimey Nagarik Samaj reiterates that every information given out during press conference is based on facts and evidences.

The press release issued by IT Department is nothing but a cover-up to hide their mistakes. If the Department is sincere towards the people, they should immediately remove Mesaso company from illegal occupation of the public land and publish all the communication and noting of the file that transpired between Mesaso Company, Commerce and Industries Department and Department of Information Technology.

Tseten Tashi Bhutia
Chief Patron
Sikkimey Nagarik Samaj