Bhutan’s Gelephu City delegation arrives for six-day visit to Assam, Meghalaya
The delegation will travel to Meghalaya on Monday before returning to Assam for high-level meetings on June 10
A file image of Assam CM Sarma (left) and King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (right) in December 2024 ahead of Advantage Assam 2.0 (Photo: @himantabiswa/ X)
Guwahati, June 7: A nine-member delegation from Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) arrived in Guwahati on Saturday for a six-day visit to Assam and Meghalaya, aimed at strengthening cross-border ties and exploring avenues for collaboration.
The delegation landed at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport and began their itinerary with visits to the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) and the historic Hayagriva Madhava Mandir in Hajo, Kamrup district.
On June 8, the team is scheduled to explore several key sites in Guwahati, including the Assam State Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the Umananda Island, the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre, and the Royal Bhutan Consul General’s Office.
The delegation will travel to Meghalaya on Monday before returning to Assam for high-level meetings on June 10.
They are expected to call on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, as well as hold meetings with the state’s Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, and the Chief Commissioner of Central GST, Central Excise and Customs (North East Region).
On June 11, the team will visit the Kamakhya Temple, Pandu Port, and Royal Global University before concluding their trip and returning to Bhutan the following day.
Gelephu Mindfulness City, located near the Assam border, is an ambitious Special Administrative Region being developed by the Bhutan government to integrate economic development with principles of mindfulness, holistic living, and sustainability.
Chief Minister Sarma, who visited Bhutan in December 2023 to understand the GMC project, has expressed optimism about the transformative potential of the initiative.
He had earlier said that the city, once developed, would reshape the regional economy and create new investment opportunities in Assam’s border districts, including Kokrajhar, Chirang, and Bongaigaon.
Sarma clarified that Assam’s role is not to replicate the GMC but to complement its development by attracting investments and facilitating regional connectivity.
PTI