Gangtok, May 16: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on May 16 said the Himalayan state was entering a new era of development centred on quality, sustainability, youth empowerment and long-term economic progress as it celebrated its 51st Statehood Day.
In a detailed message issued on the occasion, Tamang extended greetings to Sikkimese people across the world and described Statehood Day as a moment of pride, gratitude and celebration. He said that over the last five decades, Sikkim had established itself as a model of peace, environmental conservation, social harmony and inclusive development.
The Chief Minister referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit during the concluding celebrations of Sikkim’s Golden Jubilee year, stating that it reflected national recognition of the state’s progress since its merger with India in 1975. He said projects worth over ₹4,000 crore were inaugurated or announced during the Prime Minister’s visit.
Tamang noted that Prime Minister Modi had described Sikkim as the “heaven of the East” and praised the state for its achievements in sustainable development, organic farming, cleanliness, environmental conservation and peaceful coexistence.
Highlighting the government’s future priorities, the Chief Minister said Sikkim’s next phase of growth would focus on enhancing standards in education, healthcare, employment generation, entrepreneurship, sports and infrastructure development while creating greater opportunities for young people.
He said the state government was making major investments in sports and youth development under initiatives linked to programmes such as Khelo India and FIT India. He highlighted the revival of the State Sports Academy at Paljor Stadium and ongoing efforts to establish the Tarundeep Rai Archery Academy and a boxing academy named after Olympian Jas Lal Pradhan. The Swarna Jayanti Sports and Cultural Complex, which will include a football stadium, indoor arena and high-performance training facilities, is also under development.
On employment and skill development, Tamang said more than 13,500 candidates had received training under programmes including PMKVY and DDU-GKY, while over 11,000 placements had already been achieved. He added that the government was also expanding overseas employment opportunities through the Chief Minister–ELEVATE Scheme and foreign language training programmes.
Referring to a recent development under international placement initiatives, he said 13 trained nurses from Sikkim had secured overseas placements in Germany.
The Chief Minister also highlighted growth in the MSME and startup ecosystem, stating that the number of registered MSMEs had risen from around 250 units in 2019 to more than 35,000 in 2026. According to him, various schemes supporting entrepreneurship and rural enterprises were helping generate self-employment opportunities across sectors.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to environmental sustainability, Tamang pointed to Sikkim’s status as India’s first fully organic state and said over 76,000 hectares of farmland had been brought under chemical-free cultivation. He also referred to climate resilience initiatives, including India’s first demonstrative Glacial Lake Outburst Flood mitigation plan for Shako Chho.
In the healthcare sector, the Chief Minister said several major initiatives had been implemented under the “Health for All” approach since 2019. He referred to the inauguration of the 500-bed Namchi District Hospital and the 100-bed Mangan District Hospital, along with expanded super-speciality services at STNM Hospital in Gangtok.
He further said the state had established its first tertiary cancer care centre and strengthened facilities related to dialysis, cardiac treatment and mental healthcare, while thousands of patients had benefited from financial assistance schemes.
On education, Tamang stated that Sikkim had become the first state in India to introduce a kindergarten system across all government schools. He added that efforts were underway to strengthen foundational learning, vocational training, science education and higher education opportunities.
The Chief Minister also highlighted tourism growth, stating that Sikkim recorded a tourist footfall of 17.2 lakh visitors in 2025. He referred to ongoing projects such as ropeways, eco-tourism initiatives, battlefield tourism and the Mega Homestay Scheme aimed at boosting the sector.
He said rural development, road connectivity, drinking water access and sanitation remained key priorities of the government. Tamang noted that Sikkim was declared India’s first ODF Plus Model State in 2023 and said more than 4,600 kilometres of roads had been developed under the PMGSY scheme.
Concluding his message, the Chief Minister called upon people to work collectively towards building a “Sunaulo, Samriddha ani Samarth Sikkim” and contribute to the larger vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
He said the state now stood at a stage where it could move forward with confidence, ambition and a renewed sense of purpose for the future.
