New Delhi, 28 April (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sikkim yesterday afternoon, touching down at the Libing Army Helipad on the outskirts of Gangtok for a two‑day visit that is set to mark the closing of the state’s 50‑year‑long Golden Jubilee of statehood celebrations. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang‑Golay, State BJP President DR Thapa, Union Ministers, and senior officials received him with a warm and exuberant welcome, underscoring the political and emotional significance of his visit to the Himalayan state.

From the helipad, the Prime Minister proceeded to Lok Bhawan via an extensive roadshow, moving slowly through the city’s central arteries as thousands of residents thronged the streets in traditional attire, waving tricolour flags, playing folk tunes, and raising slogans to greet him. PM Modi waved back to the crowd, pausing frequently to acknowledge the enthusiastic reception, turning the route into a spontaneous public festival that reflected the state’s high‑pitched festive mood.

Today, PM Modi is set to participate in the closing ceremony of Sikkim’s 50th‑anniversary statehood celebrations at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok, where he will also inaugurate, launch, and lay the foundation stones for multiple development projects worth over ₹4,000 crore across the state. These initiatives span infrastructure, connectivity, healthcare, education, power, urban development, environment, tourism, and agriculture, and are designed to accelerate holistic, inclusive growth in one of India’s most ecologically sensitive and strategically important regions.

Orchidarium and ecological showcase

Earlier today, at around 9:30 a.m., the Prime Minister will visit the Orchidarium in Gangtok, where he will inaugurate the Swarnajayanti Maitri Manjari Park—a state‑of‑the‑art, world‑class Orchid Experience Centre developed to showcase Sikkim’s rich floral and ecological heritage. The park has been curated as a flagship attraction of the Golden Jubilee, blending conservation, tourism, and environmental education into a single, visually stunning complex.

Health and education infrastructure

In the health sector, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for a 100‑bedded Ayurveda Hospital at Yangang in Namchi district, reinforcing the state’s push for traditional and integrative systems of medicine. He will also inaugurate a 30‑bedded Integrated Sowa Rigpa Hospital at NIT Deorali, enhancing access to indigenous healing practices for remote communities.

In education, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the permanent campus of Sikkim University at Yangang, the Administrative Block of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University of Excellence at Chakung, and the Helen Lepcha Medical College at Socheygang in Gangtok district. He will also commission the Dentam Professional College at Dentam in Gyalshing, model residential schools at Hee Gyathang, a new Model Degree College at Mangshila in Mangan, and a monastic hostel‑cum‑classroom at Boomtar Gumpa in Namchi. In addition, he will launch IT‑enabled educational infrastructure projects across 160 schools in Sikkim, aiming to bridge the digital divide and modernise teaching‑learning processes.

Connectivity and power upgrades

To strengthen connectivity, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for two hinged double‑lane steel‑arch bridges over the Teesta River at Sirwani and Lower Samdong, linking Namchi and Gangtok districts and improving resilience against landslides and floods. He will also inaugurate the widening and strengthening of the road from Birdhang to Namchi via Kitchudumra, which will enhance inter‑district accessibility and ease the movement of passengers and goods.

In the power sector, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the upgradation, revamping, and improvement of the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) network in Gangtok, ensuring more reliable and stable electricity supply to households and commercial establishments amid rising energy demand.

Urban governance and housing

On the urban‑governance front, PM Modi will inaugurate the Jan Seva Sachivalaya (Mini Secretariat) at Lumsey and the Civil Service Officers Institute in Gangtok, aimed at bringing government services closer to citizens and improving administrative efficiency. He will also inaugurate several housing schemes, including the Sikkim Urban Garib Awas Yojana at Lingding, housing for police personnel, and Grade ‘C’ quarters at SAP Pangthang, as part of the government’s broader push for affordable housing and better living conditions for public servants.

He will simultaneously lay the foundation stone for the Sadbhav Mandap (Public Utility Centre) at MG Marg, a multi‑use civic complex designed to house public amenities and community‑engagement spaces in the heart of Gangtok.

Environment, tourism, and agriculture

As part of environmental‑protection measures, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for the rehabilitation of the sewerage system in Singtam town under river‑pollution‑abatement initiatives and inaugurate the pollution‑abatement scheme for the Rani Chu river through the Roro Chu channel in Zone III, Gangtok—aimed at improving urban sanitation and safeguarding fragile mountain ecosystems.

In tourism and pilgrimage,PM

Modi will inaugurate the redevelopment of the Ridge Precinct in Gangtok, eco‑tourism and pilgrimage infrastructure at Dodak in Soreng, and facilities for the Kailash‑Mansarovar Yatra at the 18th Mile and Hangu Lake, along with a Yatri Niwas at Krishna Pranami Mangaldham in Namphing. He will also lay the foundation stone for an Eco‑Pilgrimage Complex at Silnon in Gyalshing district, underscoring Sikkim’s ambition to emerge as a leading eco‑religious‑tourism destination.

In agriculture, he will inaugurate the Sikkim IFFCO Processing Plant, which is expected to boost agro‑processing and create better value‑chain opportunities for local farmers. To promote youth engagement and sports, he will also inaugurate indoor cricket facilities at Mining in Rangpo, Pakyong district, giving young athletes a modern, all‑weather training space.

A milestone in Sikkim’s Golden Jubilee

Prime Minister Modi’s visit follows the grand roadshow in Gangtok and comes at the culmination of a year‑long series of events marking 50 years since Sikkim’s formal integration as a state of the Indian Union. The ₹4,000‑crore package of projects, spread across multiple sectors, is being positioned as a transformative step toward sustained economic development, improved public services, and enhanced regional connectivity in the Northeast.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar