PM Modi likely to visit Sikkim on May 29 to take part in 50th anniversary of statehood celebrations

Gangtok: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Sikkim on May 29 to take part in the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of its statehood, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said.

He said the final confirmation from the Prime Minister's Office about the proposed visit is yet to be received, but all other formalities have already been completed.

"Around 1 lakh people will be present at the Paljor Stadium to greet the PM that day. Earlier, we planned the programme at Manan Kendra, but that place could not accommodate such a large crowd, so we changed the venue," Tamang told reporters on the sidelines of a programme on Sunday.

"The PM wholeheartedly wants to visit the state to greet the people on the historic occasion. More or less, the confirmation has come. It is a historic occasion for the state as well as the country, which is why the PM will definitely visit," he said.

A high-level meeting was held on Saturday to review preparations for the PM's proposed visit. It was chaired by Chief Administrator-cum-Cabinet Secretary VB Pathak along with Chief Secretary R Telang, officials said.

Minute details for the PM visit, including the logistical and security aspects, were discussed in the meeting, they said.

The meeting also deliberated on the cultural programmes that would be held during the PM's visit, and finalised the list of projects for inauguration and foundation stone laying, they added.

Heads of various departments and senior officers of the state government were present in the meeting.

Enjoying protectorate status under the Union of India after the country's Independence in 1947, Sikkim became an Indian state on May 16, 1975, following a referendum.