Sikkim celebrates 48th State Day today: Sikkim Governor credits PM Shri Narendra Modi’s Act East policy for development and thanked him for providing Sikkim the opportunity to host G20 events

Central Government’s Vibrant Village programme will transform lives in Sikkim’s border villages: Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Sikkim Governor

Sikkim is set to achieve targets under the TB-free India campaign: P S Tamang, Sikkim Chief Minister

IPR, Gangtok 16th May, 2023: Sikkim celebrates  48th State Day today. It was on 16th May, 1975 that the erstwhile Himalayan kingdom became part of India as its 22nd state.  The state level celebration was organised at Chintan Bhawan, Gangtok in the presence of Governor of Sikkim Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister  Shri P S Tamang.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Acharya appreciated the state’s progress in gender equality, education, healthcare, employment generation, organic farming and environment conservation. He urged all to draw inspiration from these achievements and work towards taking the state to greater heights. He credited Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Act East policy for development and thanked him for providing Sikkim the opportunity to host G20 events which projected the state’s rich natural and cultural heritage on a global platform. The governor added that the central government’s Vibrant Village programme will transform lives in Sikkim’s border villages. He mentioned the celebration of the fifth Jan Aushadhi Diwas this year and stressed on widening the availability of generic medicines across the state. 

In his address, Chief Minister Shri P S Tamang highlighted the state government’s initiatives across sectors, particularly in the health sector, such as launch of dialysis centres and mobile village clinics, strengthening cancer treatment facilities, boosting oxygen availability at hospitals and increasing MBBS seats in the state. Mr Tamang announced free treatment for dialysis and cancer patients belonging to BPL families on the occasion. The chief minister highlighted Sikkim’s strong performance in eradicating Tuberculosis and said that the state is set to achieve targets under the TB-free India campaign. He also showcased reforms in the education sector including those in teacher recruitment policy, and various fellowships offered by the state government. 

Shri Tamang informed that the state government has plugged revenue leakages to realise a 57 per cent growth in revenue generation in 2022-23 compared to 2018-19. Shri Tamang thanked Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the central government for continued support. He also remembered former governors and chief ministers for their contribution to the state’s progress.

The State level Sikkim State Day celebration in Gangtok included presentation of the Sikkim Sewa Samman to state government officials, launch of a multimedia database management system by the IPR department and a public awareness video on mobile village clinics; and release of a book titled Skill Gap Assessment Study of Sikkim by the state skill development department. Sikkim Governor Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya and Chief Minister Shri P S Tamang also flagged off ambulances for government colleges and mobile diagnostic laboratories for Gyalshing and Mangan districts.