Lok Sabha Question No. 1456 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-28
Subject: India’s Act-East Policy
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Tapir Gao

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

ANSWERED ON- 28/07/2023

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1456

## INDIA'S ACT-EAST POLICY

1456. SHRI TAPIR GAO

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-

(a) the details including salient features and objectives of India's Act-East policy introduced by the Government;

(b) the steps taken by the Government to extend development cooperation to its neighbours to assist them in areas such as trade, development, and connectivity; and

(c)   the   details   of   major   infrastructure   projects   being   implemented   by   the   Government   in neighbouring countries?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

(SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)

(a) The Act East Policy focuses on the extended neighbourhood in the Indo-Pacific region, with ASEAN as its core. The objective of Act East Policy is to promote economic cooperation, cultural ties   and   develop   strategic   relationships   with   countries   in   the   Indo-Pacific   region   through continuous engagement at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels, thereby providing enhanced connectivity in its broadest sense, including political, economic, cultural and people to people relations.

(b   &   c)   Under   the   Neighbourhood   First   Policy,   development   cooperation   is   an   important component of our engagement with neighbouring countries with specific focus to improve the bilateral   engagement   covering   all   facets   of   socio-economic   development   including   trade   and connectivity. India's development assistance is based on the needs of the partner countries and is geared towards responding to as many of the requests received from these countries as technically and financially feasible. The main instruments of India's development assistance include Lines of Credit   (LOC),   Grant   assistance,   High   Impact   Community   Development   Projects   (HICDP), Technical   Consultancy,   Disaster   Relief   and   Humanitarian   aid,   as   well   as   capacity-building

programmes   under   Indian   Technical   and   Economic   Cooperation   Programme   (ITEC).   Indian expertise is showcased in project planning and implementation in a wide range of areas covering both infrastructure development as well as socio-economic development. The details of major infrastructure projects being implemented by the Government in neighbouring countries under LOC and Grant in Aid are placed at Annexure -I and Annexure-II respectively.

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## Annexure-I

Details of major infrastructure projects under Line of Credit (LOC) being implemented by the Government in neighbouring countries.

|   Sl.No. | Country    | Project                                                            |
|----------|------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Bangladesh | Upgradation of Mongla Port                                         |
|        2 | Bangladesh | Power Evacuation Facilities of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant project |
|        3 | Bangladesh | Barapukuria - Bogra - Kaliakoir Power Transmission Line            |
|        4 | Nepal      | Multiple road projects                                             |
|        5 | Maldives   | Great Maldives Connectivity Project                                |
|        6 | Maldives   | Development of Sports Infrastructure                               |
|        7 | Maldives   | Construction of Cricket Stadium Complex in Maldives                |
|        8 | Maldives   | Water &Sewerage projects in 34 Islands                             |
|        9 | Maldives   | Gan Airport Development Project                                    |
|       10 | Maldives   | Gulhifalhu International Port Development Project                  |
|       11 | Myanmar    | Yenwe and Kunchaung irrigation scheme                              |
|       12 | Sri Lanka  | Upgrading railway track from Maho-Anuradapura-Omanthai             |

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## Annexure-II

Details of Grant in Aid projects being implemented by the Government in neighbouring countries.

|   Sl. No. | Country    | Project                                                      |
|-----------|------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Bangladesh | Akhaura-Agartala Rail Link                                   |
|         2 | Bhutan     | Punatsangchhu-I (1200 MWHEP)                                 |
|         3 | Bhutan     | Punatsangchhu-II (1020 MWHEP)                                |
|         4 | Maldives   | Construction of Ministry of Defense (MoD) Building           |
|         5 | Maldives   | Greater Male Connectivity Project                            |
|         6 | Myanmar    | Construction of 69 Bridges on TKK road in Myanmar            |
|         7 | Myanmar    | Kaladan Multi Modal transit Project.                         |
|         8 | Myanmar    | Upgradation of Kalewa-Yargi Road section in Myanmar.         |
|         9 | Nepal      | Construction of Integrated Check Post at Bhairahawa in Nepal |
|        10 | Nepal      | Nepal-Bharat Maitri Polytechnic at Hetauda                   |
|        11 | Nepal      | National Police Academy, Panauti, Nepal                      |
|        12 | Nepal      | India-Nepal Cross Border Rail Link: Jayanagar- Bardibas      |
|        13 | Nepal      | India-Nepal Cross Border Rail Link: Jogbani- Biratnagar      |
|        14 | Sri Lanka  | India Housing Projects Phase-III and Phase-IV                |

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