'Sikkim not bankrupt': CM Tamang unveils farmer relief, free MBBS seats and healthcare push

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on July 23 firmly rejected speculation about the state's financial health, asserting that Sikkim is financially stable and fully capable of sustaining its development agenda while announcing a series of initiatives for farmers, healthcare, infrastructure and medical education.

Addressing reporters, Tamang dismissed reports suggesting the state government was facing a financial crisis, describing them as "baseless rumours" aimed at misleading the public.

"If the government were bankrupt, we would not have been able to present an ₹18,455-crore budget or continue paying salaries on time," he said, adding that more than ₹11,000 crore has been allocated towards revenue expenditure, directly benefiting citizens.

Defending the state's fiscal management, the Chief Minister said all borrowings had been undertaken strictly within limits prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India and based on Sikkim's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). He said the government was repaying both principal and interest on schedule, with only about 8.45 per cent of its revenue being used for debt servicing.

"Our borrowings have been utilised for creating productive public assets and not for meeting routine expenditure," Tamang said.

Announcing relief measures for the agriculture sector, the Chief Minister said farmers availing loans under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme would effectively pay only one per cent interest if repayments are made on time, with the remaining interest burden shared by the Centre and the state government.

He also said eligible beneficiaries engaged in agriculture, dairy and piggery activities would continue receiving financial assistance of up to ₹5 lakh under the Chief Minister Self Employment Assistance Scheme without requiring collateral or bank guarantees.

In the healthcare sector, Tamang announced that STNM Hospital would soon begin offering kidney transplant services, enabling patients to receive advanced treatment within the state instead of travelling elsewhere.

He further announced free cervical cancer screening for women aged between 30 and 65 years as part of efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare following the nationwide rollout of free HPV vaccination.

Highlighting infrastructure development, the Chief Minister said the government has planned carpeting of 570 kilometres of roads, prioritising connectivity to tourism destinations, educational institutions and markets. He added that work on the Integrated Culture and Sports Village and a new Convention Centre was progressing.

On medical education, Tamang said the newly approved Srimati Sikkim Lepcha Medical College would commence with 100 MBBS seats. Of these, 50 merit-based seats for eligible Sikkim students would be tuition-free, while students from economically weaker sections would receive additional support under the Chief Minister Education Assistance Scheme.

He also announced that Sikkim had secured additional MBBS seats in Manipur, creating more opportunities for students aspiring to pursue medical education.

Concluding his remarks, Tamang said improved GST collections, stronger financial monitoring and better revenue management had significantly strengthened Sikkim's fiscal position, enabling the government to pursue development while maintaining financial discipline.