On Friday, June 12, 2026, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) took part in the NITI Aayog interaction programme with the chief ministers and chief secretaries of North‑Eastern states in New Delhi, where he reviewed the state’s progress and sought central support for priority projects, according to a CMO press release. Tamang thanked NITI Aayog and the Government of India for their guidance and lauded national leadership for boosting connectivity, infrastructure, tourism, digital access, investment and human development across the Northeast.
The chief minister highlighted recent achievements in education and conservation. He said Sikkim was recently declared a Fully Literate State in the presence of President Droupadi Murmu, becoming the country’s fifth fully literate state, and pointed to the Chief Minister’s Model School Initiative and the Special Numeracy Programme as drivers of that success. He also noted environmental milestones: Khangchendzonga National Park’s recognition as India’s first UNESCO Mixed World Heritage Site and the declaration of Khecheopalri Lake as Sikkim’s first Ramsar site. Flagship social schemes such as Mero Rukh Mero Santati and Shishu Samriddhi Yojana were cited as part of the state’s development mix.
Tamang stressed social priorities including women’s empowerment, announcing schemes to improve women’s health, dignity and economic security and reaffirming a 33% reservation for women in government services and processes. He also highlighted Sikkim INSPIRES, the state’s mental‑health and suicide‑prevention initiative, expanded psychosocial support systems and an ongoing campaign against substance abuse.
Outlining Sikkim Vision 2047, the chief minister set an ambitious target: a USD 70 billion economy and per‑capita income above USD 80,000 through evidence‑based governance, value‑chain development, entrepreneurship and sustainable growth. To realise this, he sought central support on several infrastructure fronts: strengthening NH‑10; building an alternative highway between Melli and Sevoke; implementing the Singtam–Melli Greenfield Climate‑Resilient Alignment (NH‑210); constructing NH‑717; and upgrading NH‑310A/NH‑310AG with tunnels, bridges, alternative routes and slope stabilisation to make North Sikkim climate‑resilient.
Tamang drew attention to the suspension of commercial flights at Pakyong Airport since June 2024 and urged early restoration of services, along with a rail link to the upgraded Bagdogra Airport. He asked the centre to expedite completion of the Sivok–Rangpo railway and to prioritise BharatNet 3.0 for high‑speed internet in remote, mountainous areas. He also raised demographic concerns over a declining total fertility rate among indigenous communities and requested extension of NEIIPP beyond 2027, reconsideration of the MOVCDNER scheme’s discontinuation, upgrades along the Nathu La trade route, and support for an Integrated Check Post and multimodal corridor at Chewabhanjyang on the Sikkim‑Nepal border. Tamang concluded by reaffirming Sikkim’s commitment to the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision and expressing confidence that, with continued support from the Government of India and NITI Aayog, the state will remain a model of balanced, inclusive and sustainable development.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/cm-highlights-sikkims-achievements-and-development-priorities-at-niti-aayog-interaction-programme
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