‘Sikkim Milk’ outlet inaugurated at MG Marg, Gangtok

KUNAL RAI

GANGTOK,: Animal Husbandry Minister Puran Gurung, along with Roads & Bridges Minister N.B. Dahal and Gangtok MLA Delay Namgyal Barfungpa, on Thursday inaugurated an exclusive outlet of ‘Sikkim Milk’ at MG Marg, Gangtok.

The outlet, located opposite Titanic Park at the entry point of MG Marg, is an initiative of the Sikkim Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd (Sikkim Milk Union) in partnership with Sheetal Agarwal.

Also present on the occasion were Gangtok Mayor Tshering Palden Bhutia, Deputy Mayor Sara Lama, Sikkim Milk Union Chairman Y.K. Sharma, Union Advisor Purna Hang Subba, SC Welfare Board Chairman Sekhar Sewa, and other dignitaries.

Addressing the media, Minister Puran Gurung congratulated the Sikkim Milk Union for establishing an exclusive outlet at MG Marg. He said the State government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay), had directed the department and the Union to set up such an outlet in the capital, which has now been realised.

He further stated that to support dairy farmers, an incentive of Rs 8 per litre was introduced by the State government, benefiting farmers across the state. So far, around Rs 68 crore has been disbursed directly to rural farmers’ accounts, he said.

Highlighting the sector’s potential, the minister said the government aims to make Sikkim self-sufficient in milk and milk products to reduce dependency on imports. He also appealed to hotels and restaurants in Gangtok to use Sikkim Milk products to support local farmers.

Sikkim Milk Union managing director T.B. Ghatani described the day as “historic, proud and joyful.” He said the outlet represents the journey “from villages to Gangtok, from cowsheds to MG Marg,” and is a tribute to the hard work of thousands of dairy farmers.

He added that Sikkim Milk Union, which began over four decades ago with around 2,000 farmers and a daily collection of 2,000 litres, has now grown into a strong cooperative network with over 17,000-18,000 farmers and a daily milk collection of 60,000-70,000 litres.

Over the years, Sikkim Milk Union has expanded its range to include milk, curd, ghee, chhurpi, paneer, sweets and other value-added products, strengthening its contribution to the “Organic Sikkim” identity.

Ghatani also highlighted that on the occasion of Sikkim’s Statehood Golden Jubilee, new dairy products were launched in May 2025, and the newly inaugurated outlet forms part of the concluding celebrations, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the State.

The programme was also attended by GMC councillors, officials from the Animal Husbandry and Cooperation Departments, SISCO Bank officials, and staff of the Sikkim Milk Union.