On May 17, 2023, Prem Singh Tamang, Chief Minister of Sikkim, submitted the budget report for the Sikkim financial year 2023-2024, PRS Legislative Research analyzed this and released the “Sikkim Budget Analysis 2023-24” report.
According to the report, Sikkim’s fiscal revenue in 2023-24 is Rs 9,363 crore but the government’s fiscal deficit is 4.5% of GSDP (Rs 2,147crore), which is much higher than the maximum limit allowed by the Indian central government (maximum GSDP 3. 5%). The revenue surplus in 2023-24 is only 0.1% of GSDP (Rs 42 crore), much lower than the estimate in 2022-23 (2.1% of GSDP).
However, such a high fiscal deficit and a low surplus show that the government is spending all the money without actually spending the budget on the people of Sikkim. The budget shows that the only real policy highlights are installing fibre optic cables to provide internet to Soreng and Pakyong districts and a provision for piped water to 12 villages under the Jal Jeevan scheme.
The total investment in the two projects is Rs 253 crore, accounting for only 0.5% of GSDP. This has to make people ask where the budgeted money was spent. The answer is Sikkim officials. The salary income of government officials alone accounts for 34% of the fiscal budget (Rs 3,215 crore). What this means is that one-third of the entire Sikkim state’s annual income goes into the wallets of government officials.
According to the Association for Democratic Reforms report, 70% of all parliamentary candidates in Sikkim are millionaires. Among the 32 constituency councillors of the ruling party SKM, 31 (97%) are millionaires, and 28 (88%) of the 32 constituency councillors of the SDF, which has been in power in Sikkim for 25 years, are millionaires. Now it seems that this result seems so natural because these officials have 34% of the budget’s salary income.
According to the Sikkim fiscal year budget report, the only injured groups are Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and minorities. Every time during parliamentary elections, both the SDF and SKM claim to fight for parliamentary seats for ethnic minority communities. However, decades have passed and there is still no hope. The biggest reduction in the 2023-24 budget is the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and minorities. It fell to Rs 262 crore from Rs 487 crore in 2022-23, down 46%. Don’t Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs and minorities need development? Why not cut the salary income of government officials by 46%? You must know that many ethnic minorities still live below the poverty line, and most government officials are already millionaires.
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