Siliguri, April 28 -- Placing Sikkim firmly within that roadmap of "Viksit Bharat" by 2047, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised that tourism remains the backbone of this northeastern state's economy, and stressed the importance of strengthening infrastructure to support it.
Addressing a grand ceremony at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok to mark the closing ceremony of Sikkim's 50th statehood anniversary celebrations, the Prime Minister said that Sikkim's pace of progress could have been much faster in earlier decades. He alleged that under previous Congress governments, the state had been "left behind," citing delayed infrastructure projects as evidence.
Referring to the Sevoke-Rangpo railway project, he noted that although it was...