Singtam

Geography

Singtam is located at 27.15°N 88.38°E / 27.15; 88.38. It has an average elevation of 1396 feet.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Singtam had a population of 5,868. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Singtam has an average literacy rate of 71%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75%, and female literacy is 66%. In Singtam, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age. As per news the famous Billu Bhai is also from this town of Sikkim.

Transportation

The nearest airport to Singtam is 124 kilometres (77 mi) away at Bagdogra in West Bengal, where scheduled flights operate to and from Kolkata, Delhi and Guwahati. Druk Airways from Bagdogra operate to and from Bangkok. Bagdogra airport is connected to Gangtok by a helicopter service operating between Gangtok-Bagdogra-Gangtok.

The two nearest railway stations are at Siliguri 114 kilometres (71 mi) away and New Jalpaiguri 125 kilometres (78 mi) away. They provide links to Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Lucknow and other important cities in India.

National highway NH10 (Formerly NH-31A) passes through Singtam and connects to the town to the rest of the nation. Long distance buses ply from major towns in Bihar, West Bengal and other neighbouring states to Siliguri. From Siliguri, it takes about 3 hours to reach Singtam. Private taxis, shared taxi jeeps ply regularly on NH10. Government buses (SNT) and Privately operated buses are also available throughout the day. These transport options mostly operate between Siliguri-Gangtok/Singtam route. Jeep services are available between Gangtok/Singtam-New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and Gangtok/Singtam-Bagdogra route.

Note: foreigners need a permit to enter Sikkim which they can easily get at Siliguri or at Rangpo, Sikkim.