Kathmandu, April 28
Bhutan has backed out of an agreement signed among itself, Bangladesh, India and Nepal for establishing the sub-regional transportation network, popularly known as the BBIN motor vehicle pact.
“Bhutan has conveyed to India that the pact cannot be ratified in its parliament since there is opposition and the Tshering Tobgay government, which is heading for polls next year, does not want to take the political risk at the moment,” the Indian Express reports on Friday, “This has forced the Indian government to consider alternative options which will involve only Bangladesh and Nepal.”
Increased traffic, pollution and potential job losses if vehicles from the other three countries are allowed to ply freely in their country have been cited as major reasons behind the withdrawal.
Bhutanese PM Togbay had conveyed the message to Indian counterpart Narendra Modi earlier this week, according to the report.
He suggested that India, Bangladesh and Nepal could go ahead with the project “for now”, and Bhutan would join at a “later date”.
The Bhutanese government also issued a statement on Thursday, saying, it was “in the process of completing its internal procedures for ratification to address the concerns raised by the domestic stakeholders.”
Other three countries have already ratified the agreement.
The BBIN connectivity project was revived in early 2015, after the SAARC motor vehicles agreement was blocked by Pakistan at the SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu in November 2014.
