Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today announced that students topping standard X and XII examinations in any stream would be awarded Rs 1.75 lakh and Rs 50,000 respectively henceforth.

The highest scoring student would also be entitled to the Chief Minister’s Merit Scholarship Scheme under which he would have the opportunity to study in the top ten best universities and colleges in the world, Pawan Chamling said at the Paljor Stadium in his Independence Day speech.

If the student was selected in admission tests then the state government would bear the entire expense of their study anywhere.

For sports enthusiasts, Pawan Chamling announced cash incentives of Rs 2 crore, Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 lakh for winning gold, silver or bronze medals in any Olympics.

The state government would also honour the sports person with a gazette post, he said, adding that more sports academies for boxing, football and archery would be established in the state.

As part of social security measures, Pawan Chamling announced that a pension would be given to any unmarried woman above the age of 45 years from now on.

He announced that the development of backward and remote villages for a totally developed state would be initiated soon. A total of 82 remote villages in all the four districts would be developed under the programme.

He also spoke about the September 11 earthquake and the damage it had done to the state and said that the state government would construct 7,972 houses at a cost of 4 lakh each.