New Delhi: Terming India as a ‘partner', Bhutan today said it should expedite the development of a few more hydro projects in the next couple of years and invited Indian companies to explore the possibility of investments.
“What we are looking for in the next two to three years is to expedite the development of a few more hydro projects. Our expectations from India are a couple of things—interest expressed by Indian companies to come to Bhutan, the ongoing interest to exploit natural resources for our purposes,” Sonam Kinga, chairperson of the National Council of Bhutan, told PTI.
He also said his country also expects Indian companies to come to Bhutan and also see India's interest in exploiting natural resources for their purposes.
The Chairman of the Bhutan's National Council said “this (hydro) is one project where irrespective of the size of both the country's economies, mutual benifits can be harnessed through cooperation and this is a very successful project”.
“We also expect that once power is produced and since there is a guaranteed need for power in India, it will give us the impetus for an accelerated economic development and it will also contribute in small but meaningful ways to India's need for power,” Kinga added.
Asked about the recent stopping of subsidy given to Bhutan by India on LPG and Kerosene and then restoring it, Kinga said he and the Bhutanese people do not believe that India had decided to take away the subsidy.
“It has been explained to us by the Indian Ambassador to Bhutan that the timing of the Bhutanese election and the end of the tenth five year plan coincided so much so that there was no continuity to begin the talk. It was not a removal (of subsidy) but the talk that needed to happen could not be possible since there was ongoing election and there was no government in place (in Bhutan),” Kinga said.
Asked about the recent Rs 1 billion grant provided by India to Bhutan for the new government's Economic Stimulus Plan (ESP) and India's commitment to provide Rs 5 billion to the Himalayan nation, outside the 11th Plan assistance, Kinga said it was a “generous act” by India.
“We see the grant of Rs 5 billion for the government's Economic Stimulus Plan as a very generous act of the government of India. More than the amount, we see it as a gesture of a political decision, which augurs well for Bhutan,” Kinga said.
He, however, maintained that as he was not the government and could not speak on its behalf. He said the National Council has suggested to the government to utilize the stimulus package to do certain things in the light of credit crunch and Rupee crisis.
“What we have suggested is that Bhutan put this money in sectors which will promote exports.. in sectors which will boost domestic production so we do not have to import”, Kinga added.
Asked about Bhutan's position on terrorism, Kinga said his country was a Buddhist country and a peace-loving nation and terrorism has no place either in society or domestic and foreign policy.
“Our position on terrorism is quite clear that it has no place. Whatever we do in both our domestic and foreign policies, we will ensure friendly countries like India are not harmed. Our territory is not used for launching terrorist attacks,” Kinga added.
