World News | India Committed to Working Closely with Maldives Govt for Speedy Implementation of Flagship Infra Project: High Commission
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. India on Monday said it is committed to working closely with the Government of Maldives for the speedy implementation of the Male to Thilafushi link project, the largest-ever infrastructure project in the island nation.
Male, Jan 29 (PTI) India on Monday said it is committed to working closely with the Government of Maldives for the speedy implementation of the Male to Thilafushi link project, the largest-ever infrastructure project in the island nation.
The Male to Thilafushi Link project, popularly known as the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), is a USD 530 million infrastructure project aimed at establishing a direct link between the capital city of the Maldives and Thilafushi, an island located in the South Indian Ocean.
A high-level meeting to monitor the progress of the India-assisted Male to Thilafushi link project was held here on Monday, officials said.
"The 10th Joint Project Monitoring Committee meeting of the Greater Male Connectivity -- Male to Thilafushi link project was held today," The Maldives' Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure said in a post on X, sharing some photographs of the meeting.
The meeting was co-chaired by Construction and Infrastructure Minister Abdulla Muththalib and Indian High Commissioner Munu Mahawar, it said.
Taking to X, the High Commission of India in Maldives said, "We remain committed to working closely with the Government of Maldives for speedy implementation of this flagship, transformational development cooperation project, which is being built with highly concessional credit and USD 100 million grant support from India."
The project, which involves the construction of a bridge or a tunnel connecting Male and Thilafushi, is being executed by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, a firm of Indian conglomerate Shapoorji Pallonji Group, and is funded by the Exim Bank of India under the Indian grant and Line of Credit (LoC) scheme.
The project is expected to improve transportation and connectivity between the two islands, as well as provide new opportunities for economic and social development.
Monday's meeting assumes significance following the change of government in the Maldives in November last year.
Soon after taking oath as the President of Maldives, Mohamed Muizzu, who is regarded as a pro-China leader, formally requested India to withdraw its 88 military personnel from his country by March 15. The new government is also reviewing more than 100 bilateral agreements signed with India by the previous government.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)