by Harananewswire
CHANDIGARH,
DEC 17
The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, today said that the
State would get 1500 to 2000 MW power from Bhutan and this power would be
available in next four to five years from a new joint venture project to be set
up by the State there. Also, the hydel power would be economical as compared to
the thermal power.
The Chief Minister, who was addressing a press conference here today said that
he had led a delegation to Bhutan on a two-day recent visit and described it as
very fruitful.
Mr Hooda said that Haryana and the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan have reached an
understanding on pursuing a mutually beneficial economic collaboration across a
number of sectors, especially power, thus Haryana becoming the first state in
the country to have traversed beyond the national frontiers and signed a
mutually collaborative understanding with an independent nation state.
Mr Hooda said that Bhutan has agreed in principle to partner with the State of
Haryana in harnessing its hydro power potential, the State of Haryana would be
engaging with Bhutan in Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Livestock,
Industrial Development, Urban Planning and Infrastructure Development sectors
keeping in view the historical excellent relations between India and Bhutan.
This has been possible on account of a very long and friendly relationship
between India and Bhutan, added Mr Hooda.
The
Chief Minister said, “it has been my Government’s priority to make Haryana self
reliant for meeting its power requirements and steps have been taken to create
additional power generation capacity from a mere 4033.60 MW in 2005 to 8497.40
MW during a period of last seven years. However, finding that there have been
problems associated with availability of sufficient coal for uninterrupted
operations of our newly established power plants, and in view of the ever
increasing need for additional power for the state’s development initiatives,
we started looking at alternative measures.
It
is in this background that the establishment of a Nuclear Power Plant in
Fathehabad district was taken up.” He said that he was grateful to the people of
Gorakhpur, Kajal Heri and Badopal that they have finally agreed to most
amicably resolve the land related issue in the larger interest of the State.
It is in furtherance of our long term perspective in the State’s interest
that we started looking at harnessing the Hydro Power potential in Bhutan in
partnership with the Royal Government of Bhutan, he added.
Mr
Hooda said that Haryana held wide ranging discussions on determining the
specific areas of economic cooperation for mutual benefit between the State of
Haryana and the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan in his meetings with Mr Lyonpo Khandu
Wangchuk, Minister, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Minister-in-Charge for
Foreign Affairs, and Mr Lyonpo (Dr.) Pema Gyamtsho, Minister for Agriculture
and Forests.
Mr
Hooda said that he also called on the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Mr Lyonchhen
Jigmi Y. Thinley, who fully supported the discussions held earlier between the
leaders of Haryana and Bhutan. The meeting with the Prime Minister was followed
by an audience with His Majesty, the King of Bhutan, Mr Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in Thimphu
on December 15.His Majesty, the King of Bhutan was highly appreciative of
the deliberations between Haryana and Bhutan and extended his full support to
the same, added Mr. Hooda.
He
said that the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of Haryana agreed
to explore possibilities of co-operation in the hydropower sector with the
intention of Government of Haryana undertaking investments in hydropower
generation in Bhutan and receiving power from Bhutan through long term Power
Purchase Agreements and power trading arrangements. In return, the Government
of Haryana has offered to collaborate
with the Royal Government of Bhutan in the development of Agriculture,
Horticulture, Animal Husbandry & Livestock, Urban planning and Industrial & Infrastructure development sectors
of economy through provision of technical assistance, capacity building,
institutional partnerships, exchange programmes,
technology and knowledge sharing, research and development, supporting
establishment of pilot projects and catalyzing investments through mutually
agreed measures and instruments.
As
a mark of beginning of this mutual cooperation, the Chief Minister Haryana
announced reservation of five seats for admission for five Bhutanese nationals
sponsored by the Royal Government of Bhutan for a period of five years in B.Sc.
Agriculture course in the Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar and two
students in B.VSc. course in the Animal Sciences University, Hisar. The Chief
Minister also announced that Haryana Government would also bear the tuition fee
expenses of these students.
The
principles and areas of cooperation between the two sides have been enshrined
in the ‘Minutes of Meetings’, which were signed in Thimpu on by Dasho
Sonam Tshering, Secretary Economic Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan
and Mr. Y.S. Malik, Principal Secretary, Industries and
Commerce, on behalf of the state
of Haryana. The two sides agreed to constitute sector-wise Core
Groups to take the mutual understanding further. A group comprising Bhutanese
officials from Agriculture and Livestock Departments would soon be visiting
Haryana, especially the CCS Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar to
specifically identify areas that could be taken up for further assistance by
Haryana. Similarly, a delegation from Haryana would be visiting Bhutan to
specifically delineate the mode of engagement with Bhutan in the area of Hydro
Power development.
The
Chief Minister said that he extended invitations to His Majesty, the King of
Bhutan; the Prime Minister of Bhutan; Minister for Economic Affairs and
Minister –in-Charge of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister for Agriculture
and Forests to visit Haryana. These dignitaries accepted his invitations and are
likely to visit the state shortly.
It
may be recalled that an official delegation from the Government of Haryana had
earlier undertaken a visit to Bhutan from November 19 to 23 ,
2012, which was followed by a visit of an official delegation from Royal Government
of Bhutan to Haryana from December 9 to 11, 2012 to
identify areas of mutual economic engagement and cooperation between the two
sides. The Prime Minister of Bhutan had extended an invitation to
the Chief Minister Haryana to visit Bhutan and the Chief Minister led a
delegation to Bhutan recently. Other members of the delegation included
Mr Bharat Bhushan Batra, MLA; Mr Ajit M. Sharan, Additional Chief Secretary,
Power; Mr Y.S. Malik, Principal, Secretary Industries and Commerce, Mines and Geology, Electronics and Information
Technology; and
Mr. Tarun Bajaj, Managing Director, HSIIDC.
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