Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (left) and Dr Phet Phomphiphak launch the project on Thursday.

Laos, India launch construction of dam, irrigation system in Xayaboury

Representatives of the Indian and Lao governments have launched a project to build the Nam Xang storage dam and irrigation system in Kaenthao district, Xayaboury province.
The project is funded by a loan of US$14.7 million from the EXIM Bank of India, and will run for 24 months.
An irrigation system will be built to supply water to more than 1,000 hectares of farmland in the rainy season and to 850 hectares in the dry season.
Almost 300 families in six villages of Kaenthao district will benefit from the scheme.
The project opening ceremony last week was led by India’s Deputy Minister of External Affairs, Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, and Laos’ Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Phet Phomphiphak.
Dr Phet said the project would support the government’s agricultural development strategy to 2025 and the vision to 2030, especially the food security programme and the modernisation of agricultural products through a chain system of production.
Dr Phet thanked the Government of India for supporting the development of agriculture, forestry and rural development in Laos.  
Dr Singh said “This project will be extremely beneficial for farmers and the economic development of Xayaboury province, especially in areas surrounding the dam.”
“In particular, the project will have beneficial knock-on effects for local people, apart from directly benefiting farmers and growers who will be able to get water to irrigate their farms and plantations.”
India has been extending development assistance in the form of concessional Lines of Credit for many decades, Dr Singh said. In 2015, the administration of Lines of Credit was streamlined and they are now provided under the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) through the EXIM Bank of India.
“India extends development cooperation to Laos as a partner developing country on the basis of the principles of equality, solidarity and mutual benefit. All development assistance extended by India is demand-driven and is extended without conditions, without constraining the policy space of the partner country,” he added.
On the same day, Dr Singh attended a handover ceremony for a dormitory at the Laos-India Entrepreneurship Development Centre, which was built at a cost of US$50,000.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update June 27, 2022)