Small Development Programme of Bhutan approves more projects

Bhutan’s Small Development Programme (SDP) approved 641 small projects to people of 20 districts of Bhutan. The total cost of the projects is Nu 2.248 billion.

All the 641 proposals have been approved by the committee which consists of representatives from the foreign ministry, the Indian embassy and Gross National Happiness Commission (GNHC).

The projects focuses on farm roads, irrigation channels, construction of outreach clinics, construction of administrative offices and community centres, rural water supply scheme, drinking water sup­ply, toilets near BHUs, education centres, bridges, culture, and RNR centres and others.

SDP is India’s Nu 7 billion program grant aimed at improving the condition of rural people of Bhutan. It is part of the government’s 10th five-year plan of the Bhutan government.

Till date, 1082 projects have been undertaken by SDP. In FY 2009-2010, the committee approved 441 projects worth Nu 1.3 million. The first lot of Nu 394 million had been released in February 2010. The FY 2010-2011 will see the beginning of the second phase of the SDP.

Officials of Bhutan and Indian government are keenly overlooking the progress of the overall project. The administrative committee will meet shortly to consider more projects and set a budget ceiling of Nu 2.5 billion for the FY 2010-11.

At the National Assembly, Finance Minister said that the government used only Nu 195 million of the SDP fund about 2.3% of the grant.