The Druk Green Power Corporation is in the process of securing financial support of around Nu 55bn from India for Kholongchhu hydropower project. This was said by the energy and natural resources minister during the National Council Question Hour session on Friday. The DGPC is the 100 per cent shareholder of the Kholongchu hydropower project.
Trashi Yangtse’s Member of Parliament Sonam Tenzin said the people of Trashi Yangtse are waiting for the DGPC to start the project work.
“At the beginning of the year, the government said that the Kholongchhu hydropower project’s work will be resumed by around June and July. People are excited about it. Everyone is waiting to know about the exact date to restart the project.”
The Energy and Natural Resources Minister Loknath Sharma said that the government will start the work as soon as the country is ready with the budget required for the project.
“Works at Kholongchhu project is still not able to start because we have to prepare the budget first. We are in the process of discussing it. India’s Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation have agreed and come forward to help us with a budget for the project. Experts from both companies visited the project site to assess and estimate the budget.”
The minister added that there are plans to involve 20 per cent of local contractors in the project work to gain skills development for Bhutanese construction industry. And the rest will be from India.
The project will take around five to six years to complete.
Namgay Dema
Edited by Tshering Zam
