ndias assistance package for the country includes Rs 4,500 crore for Bhutans 11th Five Year Plan from 2013-18 which covers areas like infrastructure and information and communication technology, health, agriculture, human resource development and tourism. India has invested in 16 projects in Bhutan in areas such as hydropower, cement and IT. A free trade regime is in place between India and Bhutan. Further measures to boost trade will also be discussed, Sujatha Singh said. India also assists Bhutan in implementing smaller local projects such as schools, libraries, hostel facilities for students, veterinary hospitals, irrigation channels, drinking water schemes and community centres. Our hydropower cooperation with Bhutan is a classic example of win-win cooperation, she said, adding that the hydropower projects generate export revenues for Bhutan, cement our economic partnership and provide clean and low-cost electricity to India. Three Hydro-electric projects (HEPs) totalling 1416MW (Chukha, Tala and Kurichu) are already operational. Three more HEPs [Punatsangchu I (1200MW), Punatsangchu II (1020MW) and Mangdechu (720MW)] are under construction. They are scheduled to be commissioned in 2017-18. In April, 2014, the two countries signed a framework agreement on four more JV-model HEPs totalling 2120MW. Of these, pre-construction activities for the 600MW Kholongchu HEP as a JV-model HEP between Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam ( SJVN) and Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) will commence soon. Bilateral trade amounted to Rs 6,830 crore in 2012 and the Foreign Secretary said that the education, media and tourism sectors hold good potential for enhanced cooperation in future.
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 03:01:25 +0000
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