Budget to give special focus Statehood’s Golden Jubilee, ‘BiPaSa’

Monday, Jul 08, 2024 07:15 [IST]

Last Update: Monday, Jul 08, 2024 01:46 [IST]

Budget to give special focus Statehood’s Golden Jubilee, ‘BiPaSa’

BIJOY GURUNG

GANGTOK,: The upcoming State Budget 2024-25 would be focusing on ‘BiPaSa’ – electricity (Bijuli), drinking water (Pani) and road (Sadak) sectors – a major electoral promise of the SKM government, informed SKM spokesperson Bikash Basnet.

“The main points of this year’s budget will be on ‘BiPaSa’. Special focus would be given on these three sectors,” said Basnet at a press meet here on Saturday.

SKM president and Chief Minister PS Golay had laid special thrust on strengthening electricity supply, drinking water and road sectors in Sikkim under the ‘BiPaSa’ slogan during the 2024 election campaign.

The State Budget 2024-25 Assembly session is tentatively scheduled in the first week of August after the conclusion of the Union Budget session in the Parliament later this month. It will be the first Budget of the second SKM government.

Basnet added that the State Budget 2024-25 would also focus on the upcoming Golden Jubilee celebrations of Sikkim Statehood Day.

“The programmes and activities to be undertaken for the year-long celebration of 50 years of Sikkim being an integral part of India would be included in the budget. This is a huge moment for Sikkim. The Chief Minister aims to make it go beyond celebrations and wants the people of Sikkim to benefit. Focusing on this, we have outlined many policies in this upcoming budget,” said the SKM spokesperson.

During his Delhi trip last month, Chief Minister PS Golay extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be the chief guest at Sikkim’s 50th Statehood Day celebrations on May 16, 2025, which the Prime Minister graciously accepted.

After the second SKM government took oath on June 10, the Chief Minister convened the first cabinet meeting at Tashiling Secretariat which also set the tone for a grand 50th Statehood Day celebration. The Home department, being the nodal department, was directed to prepare and meticulously execute a calendar of activities for the Statehood celebration.

Sikkim at a Glance

  • Area: 7096 Sq Kms
  • Capital: Gangtok
  • Altitude: 5,840 ft
  • Population: 6.10 Lakhs
  • Topography: Hilly terrain elevation from 600 to over 28,509 ft above sea level
  • Climate:
  • Summer: Min- 13°C - Max 21°C
  • Winter: Min- 0.48°C - Max 13°C
  • Rainfall: 325 cms per annum
  • Language Spoken: Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha, Tibetan, English, Hindi