Gangtok, July 20 (IANS) Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Monday presented a Rs 18,455-crore Budget for the financial year 2026-27, laying out an ambitious roadmap centred on infrastructure creation, healthcare, education, sustainable tourism and fiscal discipline as the Himalayan state seeks to realise its long-term vision of becoming a high-income economy under the “Viksit Sikkim @2047” initiative.
CM Tamang, who also holds the Finance portfolio, tabled the Budget in the Assembly, projecting the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at Rs 62,973 crore. The government has targeted annual economic growth of over 13 per cent while emphasising environmental sustainability and prudent financial management.
Marking the opening of the Budget Session, Tamang and members of his Cabinet attended the Assembly in traditional Lepcha attire, responding to Speaker Mingma Norbu Sherpa’s appeal that legislators wear the traditional dress of Sikkim’s ethnic communities during the four-day session.
A major feature of the Budget is the allocation of Rs 5,896 crore towards capital expenditure, signalling the government’s emphasis on creating long-term public assets.
The proposed investments include construction of nearly 570 km of climate-resilient roads using mastic asphalt technology, modernisation of the state’s electricity distribution network with assistance from the Asian Development Bank, development of satellite townships around Gangtok and expansion of urban infrastructure.
The government has also proposed major tourism projects, including the Bhaleydunga ropeway and skywalk, the Singshore adventure tourism project, improved visitor infrastructure at Nathula and several eco-tourism initiatives.
Plans have also been announced for the Swarna Jayanti Integrated Sports and Cultural Village and a world-class convention centre to promote MICE tourism and destination weddings. Healthcare has emerged as another priority sector.
The Budget provides for operationalising Sikkim’s first Government Medical College with 100 MBBS seats, launching the state’s first renal transplant programme, expanding HPV screening for women and introducing fertility treatment facilities at STNM Hospital.
The education sector has been allocated nearly 15 per cent of the total Budget. The government also proposed legislative reforms relating to private universities, open schooling and vocational education to improve employability and align education with future workforce requirements.
In agriculture, the state announced an additional subsidy that will reduce the effective interest rate on Kisan Credit Card crop loans to one per cent for eligible farmers. The government also reiterated its commitment to revive large cardamom cultivation under the “Mero Alaichi, Mero Dhan” mission.
Highlighting improvements in public health, the government said Sikkim’s suicide rate has declined by nearly 15.8 per cent, from 43.1 per lakh population in 2022 to 36.3 in 2024, attributing the reduction to strengthened counselling services and expanded mental health interventions.
On the fiscal front, the government reiterated its commitment to maintaining interest-bearing debt at around 32 per cent of GSDP over the medium term. It also announced measures to strengthen digital governance through e-budgeting, e-sanctions, e-payments and Aadhaar-enabled direct benefit transfers to improve transparency, accountability and expenditure efficiency.
While acknowledging challenges posed by climate change, difficult terrain, market connectivity and the need to attract greater private investment, the Budget outlines a development strategy focused on infrastructure, institutional reforms, human capital, sustainable tourism and fiscal responsibility to drive Sikkim’s long-term economic transformation.
–IANS
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