Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Saturday undertook an “inspection visit” to the under-construction International Multimodal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Jogighopa in lower Assam — a project expected to ensure seamless trade connectivity between India, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
The king’s 90-minute visit to the MMLP — a freight-handling facility with access to multiple modes of transport — was aimed at understanding the present and future potential of the park and the adjacent inland water terminal, located less than a kilometre away.
Both the MMLP and the water terminal are seen as critical infrastructure for bolstering India’s bilateral trade with Bhutan and Bangladesh, given the project’s strategic location— 91km from Gelephu in Bhutan, 108km from the Bangladesh border and 147km from Guwahati.
This is the first-of-its-kind logistics park in the country being developed under the Centre’s flagship Bharatmala Pariyojana. It is coming up on a 317-acre site along the Brahmaputra inJogighopa, Bongaigaon district, with the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) as the implementing agency.
The MMLP will feature a wide range of logistics infrastructure, including warehousing, railway sidings, cold storage, a customs clearance house, cargo yards, workshops, fuel stations, parking bays, admin blocks, lodging facilities, eateries and a water treatment plant.
The Bhutanese king flew in by helicopter from Gelephu at 9am, accompanied by the Indian ambassador to Bhutan and other officials.
“He saw the park’s master plan, had breakfast, and raised queries about import-export logistics and cargohandling capacity at the Inland Water Transport Terminal nearby. There were about 50 to 60 delegates in the Bhutanese team,” said Assam cabinet minister Jayanta Malla Baruah.
The logistics park is drawing interest from Bhutan, which had also sent a ministerial delegation to the inauguration of the Jogighopa Inland Water Terminal on February 18, a ceremony presided over by Union Ports and Shipping Minister SarbanandaSonowal.
Minister Baruah later posted on social media: “As per the directive of Hon’ble CM Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, I had the honour of welcoming His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk to inspect India’s first International MMLP. This initiative will unlock enormous economic potential for Assam by enhancing trade with Bhutan and Bangladesh.”
He added that Bhutan’s proposed Gelephu Mindfulness City, located nearby, will likely contribute to the MMLP’s success.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in a separate message, said the Bhutanese king’s visit “underscores the shared interests and close ties between Assamand Bhutan”.
Bhutan has been proactively engaging with Assam. In December, Sarma undertook a four-day visit to Bhutan, the first such visit by an Assam chief minister, which the Bhutanese foreign ministry described as “significant” for neighbourly ties.
Bhutan also participated in the two-day Advantage Assam 2.0 investment summit in Guwahati early this year. The summit included discussions on joint growth opportunities in sectors such as agriculture, education, power, tourismand trade.