The Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay during the meet-the-press clarified that there was no earlier or finalized commitment from the Government of India to give Nu 100 bn for the 13th plan before this government came in.
He said that if there was such an earlier commitment than it would have come up during the election campaign.
Lyonchhen said that when the government came in and discussed with the Cabinet Affairs Director and the Finance Secretary and asked them what is the expectation from India both of them in writing said they would be happy to get Nu 70 bn as the grant for the 12th plan had been Nu 45 bn.
He said the officials told him that 70 bn would be a good amount as it is an increase of Nu 25 bn from the 12th plan grant by GoI.
The PM said the Nu 15 bn ESP was separate from this hope of the civil servants of getting Nu 70 bn.
The PM explained that in the end Prime Minister Modi himself came and announced Nu 100 bn for Bhutan and the Indian Foreign Secretary later clarified that Nu 85 bn is for the 13th plan and Nu 15 bn is for the ESP.
Lyonchhen said that Nu 85 bn grant for the 13th plan is almost double of the Nu 45 bn grant for the 12th plan. He said while Bhutan will always have needs the grants an additional Nu 40 bn more.
He said the Nu 15 bn is not from the 13th plan and he in fact explained clearly to Delhi. Lyonchhen said before his visit he sent senior civil servants to Delhi with documents written by him personally explaining why Nu 15 bn ESP is important.
Lyonchhen said he again raised the need for the ESP in his meeting with PM Modi.
The PM explained that that ESP money is separate from the plan and will come before the plan. He said the 13th plan money will come in annual batches as per the past practice.
Lyonchhen said the ESP will help revive the economy and he again stressed that was no prior arrangement to get the Nu 100 bn.
He said he made his request known to the Indian side on the 13th plan and the ESP and the Nu 100 bn they got is a very generous amount and they are very happy with it.
He said apart from the GoI grant of Nu 85 bn there are separate grants of Nu 50 bn from other sources and this takes the total grant to Nu 135 bn in the 13th plan.