Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang presented a Rs 18,455-crore budget for 2026-27. The plan aims to build a high-income Himalayan economy. It targets a Gross State Domestic Product of Rs 62,973 crore. State officials want growth above 13 per cent annually. Tamang and his Cabinet arrived in traditional Lepcha clothing. This followed an appeal from Speaker Mingma Norbu Sherpa.
The state is shifting focus from welfare to assets. Capital expenditure hit a record Rs 5,896 crore. Plans include 570 km of climate-resilient roads using mastic asphalt. They will upgrade power grids with Asian Development Bank backing. Gangtok will see new satellite townships. Officials also aim to build a world-class convention centre and the Swarna Jayanti Integrated Sports and Cultural Village to draw wedding tourism.
Tourism projects include the Bhaleydunga ropeway and skywalk, plus Singshore adventure sites. Healthcare gets a massive boost. The state will open its first Government Medical College with 100 MBBS seats. They are starting a renal transplant program and new fertility clinics at STNM Hospital. HPV screening for women is also expanding.
Education claims 15 per cent of the total spend. Farmers get a break too. Crop loan interest rates for Kisan Credit Card holders drop to one per cent. The state is also reviving cardamom farming under the "Mero Alaichi, Mero Dhan" mission.
Mental health programs are working. Suicide rates dropped 15.8 per cent between 2022 and 2024. Fiscal discipline remains the priority. The government intends to keep debt at 32 per cent of GSDP. They are moving to digital governance for all payments and sanctions. Growth hinges on sustainability.
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