Gangtok, Mar 27: The third day of the Second Session (Part III) of the Eleventh Assembly (Budget Session 2025-2026) of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly commenced at the Sikkim Legislative Assembly Secretariat on Thursday.

During the session, several key bills were passed, including the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Skill University Sikkim Bill, 2025, the Sengol International University Bill, 2025, and the Fusion University Sikkim Bill, 2025. These bills were introduced by the Minister-in-Charge of the Education Department on the second day of the Budget Session.

Following the passing of these bills, the House discussed the Motion of Thanks on the Governor’s address, which had been placed before the House on the second day of the session. No further discussion took place, and the Motion of Thanks was subsequently put to a vote and passed.

In the Financial Business segment, the General Budget for 2025-2026 was presented and debated. Minister Arun Kumar Upreti addressed the House, welcoming the budget and acknowledging the points raised by the Leader of the House, Prem Singh Tamang. He emphasized that the budget was formulated with a focus on the development of key sectors such as health, education, roads, and other essential services, aiming to cater to the needs of the people of Sikkim.

MLA LN Sharma expressed his support for the budget, appreciating the developmental projects in progress and those proposed for the upcoming year. He highlighted the government’s approach to governance through structured initiatives aimed at improving infrastructure and public services.

MLA Aditya Golay also welcomed the government’s youth-focused initiatives, particularly the distribution of 4,010 tablets across 443 schools to support digital learning. He proposed the distribution of laptops to students in schools and colleges to further enhance their academic and professional opportunities.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, in his address, outlined that the budget for the financial year 2025-2026 was designed to benefit the people of Sikkim, with key priorities including tourism, education, healthcare, roads, social security, and overall development. He also highlighted the celebration of Sikkim’s 50 years of statehood and various initiatives like the Aama Yojana, Bahini Yojana, and the Chief Minister’s Discretionary Grants.

The session saw the presentation, voting, and passing of the Separate Demands for Grants 2025-2026 under the Minister-in-Charge of various departments, including Tourism, Public Health Engineering, Rural Development, Social Welfare, and more.

The House was adjourned until 11:00 AM on March 28, 2025.