Sikkim Legislative Assembly holds successful second session on February 5, 2025

The Eleventh Sikkim Legislative Assembly's second session began on a productive note today with an agenda packed with critical legislative business and proceedings. The session, which commenced at 10:50 AM with the arrival of the Governor, Om Prakash Mathur, witnessed various key developments, including the administration of oaths to newly elected members and the introduction of several significant bills.

Governor addressed the House at 11:00 AM opening the the session. Following this, the Speaker, Mingma Norbu Sherpa, led the swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected members of the Eleventh Sikkim Legislative Assembly, who had won through the recent by-elections. As a mark of respect, the House also observed an obituary reference for the late Shri Thutop Bhutia, former Member of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly.

The Assembly took a significant step forward with the Motion of Thanks on the Governor's Address, introduced by Chief Minister P. S. Tamang, and seconded by Minister Arun Kumar Upreti. A discussion followed, and the Chief Minister provided a detailed response to the points raised during the deliberations.

Among the legislative business, several bills were introduced by key ministers. The Chief Minister, who also holds the Transport portfolio, moved for the introduction of the Sikkim Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Meanwhile, Minister-in-Charge of the Education Department, Shri Raju Basnet, presented multiple educational bills, including the Swastik University, Sikkim Bill, 2025, the Trident University of Applied Sciences Sikkim Bill, 2025, and others aimed at expanding the educational landscape of the state.

The session also included important procedural matters such as the election of the Committee on Estimates for the financial year 2024-25, and the presentation of separate audit reports concerning key commissions like the Sikkim State Commission for Women and the Sikkim State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

To close the day’s proceedings, Speaker Mingma Norbu Sherpa announced the laying of several annual reports from various state departments. These included reports from the Food and Civil Supplies Department, Mines and Geology Department, and the Sikkim State Food Commission, among others.