India, Bhutan review development projects

NEW DELHI: A comprehensive review of implementation of India's developmental projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore in Bhutan was carried out today during talks between the two countries.

In the fourth Annual India-Bhutan Development Cooperation talks, both sides noted with satisfaction overall progress of implementation of the projects.

The annual Development Cooperation Talks are the umbrella mechanism for discussing India's bilateral developmental assistance to Bhutan.

India has committed Rs 2800 crore as Project Tied Assistance (PTA), Rs 850 crore for Programme Grant and Rs 850 crore for Small Development Projects (SDPs) for Bhutan's 11th Five Year Plan from July 2013 to June 2018.

A total of 85 PTA projects and 485 SDPs have been broadly agreed for implementation during the current Plan period.

With Bhutan's 11th Five Year Plan entering its third year, the two sides reviewed the overall progress of PTA projects and agreed to a reprioritized list of projects, the External Affairs Ministry said.

The Bhutanese side thanked the Indian side for the steady and timely disbursement of funds.

The two sides agreed to hold the next annual Development Cooperation Talks in 2016 in Thimphu.

The Indian side was led by Sujata Mehta, Secretary (M&ER) and the Bhutanese delegation was led by Dasho Tshering Dorji, Foreign Secretary of Bhutan.