CM announces Aama Samman Puraskar and Pragatisheel Aama Puraskar to honour Mothers

BIJOY GURUNG

2nd Aama Samman Diwas to be celebrated at Rangpo

GANGTOK,: Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay has announced two new awards under the Aama Samman initiative to be presented during the upcoming 2^nd Aama Samman Diwas on the occasion of the 9^th Jan Unmukti Diwas at Rangpo.

The two awards are Aama Samman Puraskar and Pragatisheel Aama Puraskar, as announced by the Chief Minister during a coordination meeting at Samman Bhavan here on Tuesday.

As shared online, Golay chaired the meeting to review preparations for the upcoming 2nd Aama Samman Diwas, to be observed on the occasion of the 9th Jan Unmukti Diwas on August 10.

“During the meeting, we resolved to organise this flagship programme on a grand scale at Rangpo Playground, as a heartfelt tribute to our beloved mothers whose sacrifices, resilience, and unwavering dedication have shaped our families and society,” said the Chief Minister.

The Aama Samman Puraskar will honour one deserving Aama (mother) from each constituency with a cash award of Rs 51,000. The recipients of this award will be selected from among mothers who are not beneficiaries of the Aama Sashaktikaran Yojana.

In addition, the Pragatisheel Aama Puraskar will recognise three exemplary Aamas who have made extraordinary and inspiring use of the financial assistance received under the Aama Sashaktikaran Yojana. They will receive cash awards of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, and Rs 2 lakh respectively, informed the Chief Minister.

“I also stressed that the selection of beneficiaries and award recipients must be carried out with utmost fairness, transparency, and impartiality. This programme is a humble expression of our gratitude to the Aamas of Sikkim, who have dedicated their lives with selfless love and sacrifice to their families and society,” said Golay.

He urged the ministers, MLAs, SKM functionaries and party workers to work in close coordination and with a shared sense of purpose to ensure the successful organisation of this landmark programme.

SKM spokesperson Yougan Tamang said the Aama Samman Diwas is a State-wide tribute to the sacrifice, resilience, and quiet dedication of mothers who form the backbone of every family and community in Sikkim.

Sikkim stands as the first State in India to hold a Statewide public celebration entirely dedicated to honouring mothers, a distinction that reflects the State's continuing commitment to placing women and mothers at the heart of its governance and public life, said Tamang.

He informed that the Aama Samman Diwas will significantly mark the distribution of cheques under the Sikkim Aama Sashaktikaran Yojana, a landmark scheme that provides annual financial assistance of Rs 40,000 to eligible non-working, unmarried, widowed, divorced, or separated mothers between the ages of 40 and 59, disbursed via Direct Bank Transfer.

Over 32,000 mothers benefited from the scheme in 2025-26, and the same number of beneficiaries will receive their instalments at the Rangpo event on August 10, making it one of the largest single-day welfare disbursements dedicated to mothers in the State's history, said the SKM spokesperson.

Tamang added that the State Bank of Sikkim will also honour mothers during the event by recognising the best-performing Aama Sashaktikaran Yojana savings accounts, with three mothers from each district being felicitated with cash rewards of Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1 lakh, and Rs 50,000 respectively, celebrating both financial discipline and the spirit of empowerment the scheme has fostered.

“The Chief Minister has called on Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Political Secretaries, Advisors, Chairperson, OSDs and party functionaries to work in close coordination to ensure the programme's success, while stressing that the selection of beneficiaries and award recipients must be carried out with fairness, transparency, and impartiality. Aama Samman Diwas stands not merely as a ceremonial observance but as a heartfelt reaffirmation of the State's gratitude to its mothers, whose strength and sacrifice continue to shape the future of Sikkim,” said Tamang.

Earlier, preparations were going on to celebrate the 2^nd Aama Samman Diwas at Namchi. The coordination meeting decided to change the venue to Rangpo considering the facilities and convenience for the people, it was informed.