Hyderabad Fascinates Me: Bhutan PM

The Prime Minister of Bhutan, H. E. Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay, expressed his fascination for the Hyderabad city. Reportedly, he read the history of the Nizams, and about the rich heritage and culture of the city as a school student, and developed a fascination about the pearl city. He says that as a grown-up collegiate, he developed an added awe for the city's successful transformation from the old heritage-rich Hyderabad to the new Hi-tech Hyderabad without losing its core values.

He shared his views on the city in a special address at the CII-Godrej Green Business Centre, in Hyderabad today. This is his first ever visit to a foreign country after assuming office.

The visiting PM of Bhutan said, "Our history is similar, but we have natural beauty. We have plenty of rocks. The rivers are still pristine. Energy is in abundance, and we still have potential to develop alternate forms of energy such as wind power."

He said that 72% of Bhutan has forest cover, and that as per the constitution of their country, a minimum of 60% of the area should to be under forest cover. He mentioned that Bhutan has a huge potential for getting into developmental activities.

He appreciated CII's contribution in the development of Hyderabad into an environment-friendly zone. He expressed his interest in transforming the naturally beautiful Bhutan on the lines of Hyderabad's development model.

He also asked for generous support from the Government of India in this endeavour. He extended an open invitation to CII for doing business together in multiple areas, especially IT, in which Bhutan has a favourable foundation. "Bhutan is the best option for Hyderabad, and we can be strategic neighbours," he added.

On the ocassion, CII proposed the potential areas of co-operation between India and Bhutan, including energy efficiency, green buildings and waste management. The proposal also included establishing a "Centre For Excellence On Green Business" in Bhutan.

The dignitaries from Hyderabad present at the gathering were Dr. B V R Mohan Reddy, Ramesh Datla, D V Mahonar, Suresh Chitturi, Vanitha Datla, and S Raghupathy. (INN)