Foreign Secretary of India Vikram Misri and his Bhutanese counterpart, Dasho Pema Lektup Dorji, co-chaired the fifth India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks in Thimphu yesterday.
They reviewes the implementation of India-supported projects under Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan.
According to the Indian Embassy in Thimphu, the talks focused evaluating the ground-level implementation of India-backed development projects spanning multiple sectors, illustrating the extensive scope of the strategic growth partnership shared by the two countries.
Bhutan appreciated India for its continued support toward the country’s socio-economic development and acknowledged New Delhi’s contribution to its national development goals. India and Bhutan established diplomatic relations in 1968.
With the approval of the 12 new projects, the total number of PTA projects under the current Five-Year Plan has risen to 82, with a cumulative outlay of Rs 6,860 crore. The newly approved projects span infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, urban development and disaster management.
India has also released Rs 1,250 crore under the Economic Stimulus Programme, Rs 735.20 crore for High Impact Community Development Projects and Rs 200 crore as Programme Grant. The two sides reviewed the utilisation of these funds during the meeting.