Sikkim Krantikari Morcha leaders participate in NDA meeting on Union Budget 2025-26

Under the leadership of Chief Minister of Sikkim and Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) Party President Prem Singh Tamang, SKM Spokespersons Bikash Basnet and Yougan Tamang took part in a crucial meeting of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) political parties. The meeting, held at the Lok Sabha Secretariat in Parliament House Annexe, was convened by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to discuss the key aspects of the newly presented Union Budget 2025-26.

The high-level meeting was chaired by Smt. Sitharaman and attended by prominent leaders, including Hon’ble Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India Shri V. Anantha Nageswaran, and Shri Anil Baluni (MP), National Incharge of BJP’s Media Cell. Spokespersons from various NDA alliance parties across the country also participated in the discussions.

A central focus of the meeting was the vision of ‘Vikshit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047,’ a long-term development goal set by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Hon’ble Union Finance Minister urged NDA spokespersons to effectively communicate the budget’s inclusive policies to the people, ensuring that its benefits reach every section of society.

During the meeting, Bikash Basnet, who also serves as Political Secretary (Press & Publicity Affairs) to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Sikkim, raised an important query regarding a newly introduced scheme aimed at supporting 5 lakh women, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes, particularly first-time entrepreneurs. He sought clarification on how this initiative would benefit tribal women in Sikkim. In response, Smt. Sitharaman highlighted that the scheme is designed to provide substantial financial and structural support to women in northeastern states like Sikkim. She emphasized that promoting entrepreneurship in border regions would uplift entire communities, create sustainable livelihoods, and contribute to overall economic growth.

Similarly, Yougan Tamang, who also holds the position of Press Secretary to the Chief Minister of Sikkim, inquired about the Alternative Investment Funds (AIF) for startups, a key element of the Union Budget 2025-26. He sought insights into how these funds would support Sikkim’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. In response, the Union Finance Minister elaborated on a newly introduced Fund of Funds for startups, with a corpus of ₹10,000 crore aimed at scaling up businesses and fostering innovation. She stressed that this initiative would be a major boost for young entrepreneurs, especially in smaller states like Sikkim, where access to large-scale funding remains a challenge.

Throughout the meeting, spokespersons from various NDA parties also put forward region-specific perspectives, highlighting the budget’s potential impact on their respective states. The discussions highlighted the importance of the budget’s core themes—GYAN (Garib, Youth, Annadata, and Nari), which focus on empowering marginalized communities, fostering youth development, and generating employment opportunities.

In the deliberations , it was widely agreed that the Union Budget 2025-26 is a significant step towards national economic growth and empowerment.

On behalf of the Chief Minister, the Government of Sikkim and the people of the state, Bikash Basnet and Yougan Tamang expressed their gratitude to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. They appreciated the government’s forward-looking policies and the inclusion of Sikkim in national-level discussions.