‘India not funding any development on Assomption’ |04 February 2020
The Indian government is not funding any development on Assomption island, the department of foreign affairs and Indian high commission in Seychelles have confirmed.
This is contrary to what was published by The Indian Express in its January 3, 2020 issue under the heading ‘Budget: Fund push for Chabahar port, nominal cut in MEA outlay’.
The Indian Express journalist Shubhajit Roy wrote that “the government (of India) on Saturday allocated R100 crore for the strategically-located Chabahar port project in Iran and R140 crore to Seychelles where it is developing infrastructure in the Assomption Island. It has also allocated R100 crore for organising the G-20 summit in 2022.”
Speaking to Seychelles NATION, Ambassador Barry Faure, the secretary of state in the department of foreign affairs, confirmed that “there is no foreign military presence or the construction of an India military base on Assomption island”.
“The agreement with India provides for joint maritime surveillance facilities, but has not been ratified by the Seychelles’ side. The Seychelles government is thus moving ahead with the establishment of a national coastguard facility on the Island,” added Ambassador Faure.
Seychelles NATION also contacted the Indian high commission in Seychelles which confirmed that next year’s budgetary allocation to Seychelles is for catering to the different developmental projects including three national priority projects of Seychelles, namely the attorney general’s office, the police headquarters and the government house, apart from the magistrates court project which is on the verge of completion.
The Indian high commission added that there are also high impact community projects under phase one which are at various stages of completion now.
Also work on phase two of the community development projects and on the 2000-pax capacity state-of-the-art Mahatma Gandhi International Convention centre would begin during the next financial year.
By Gerard Govinden