Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday unveiled a landmark ₹128-crore welfare initiative during the state’s first-ever Aama Samman Diwas, pledging financial assistance of ₹40,000 each to nearly 32,000 mothers across the state. The launch event, held at Rangpo Playground, drew thousands of attendees. The aid will be disbursed in two instalments of ₹20,000, alongside the distribution of hot water bottles to recipients.
Linking the occasion to Jan Unmukti Diwas — the day marking his release from what he described as “unjust imprisonment” — Tamang spoke emotionally about the support he received from mothers during his incarceration.“When I was in jail, mothers visited me — sometimes to scold, sometimes to advise, but always to give courage. Their words kept my revolutionary spirit alive,” he said.The Chief Minister framed the programme as both a personal tribute and a political recognition of mothers’ contributions to Sikkim’s social and political fabric.
The scheme, one of Sikkim’s largest direct benefit transfer programmes for women, is aimed at honouring maternal sacrifices and strengthening community welfare. Tamang announced that Aama Samman Diwas and Jan Unmukti Diwas would be observed jointly each year.