look news india
A statement issued by the Defense Ministry of Maldives said that a group of Indian nationals are coming to Maldives to operate helicopters provided by India for the purpose of providing health facilities to Maldives. The presence of Indian citizens in Maldives is important, as Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, is strategically important for India. From diplomatic and political point of view, the Indian Ocean is called India's backyard. Apart from this, diplomatic tension between the two countries is at its peak after the formation of Mohammed Muizzu's government in Maldives. President Muizu and his party are said to be pro-China. Relations between the two countries have soured after President Muizzu demanded Indian troops to leave the country. A statement issued by the Defense Ministry of Maldives also said that Indian nationals are coming to Addu city to operate helicopters in Maldives.
Helicopter at GAN Airport
Indian pilots will arrive at GAN airport tonight, following which the process of handing over helicopter operations to Indian nationals will begin. All these civilians will take command of the existing military personnel deployed in Maldives and will operate helicopters provided by the Government of India. The Defense Ministry of Maldives has also announced that the helicopters currently deployed at Laamu Gan Kadhadu Airport will be flown back to India for maintenance. The replacement helicopter will reach Maldives tomorrow i.e. on Wednesday.
In the budget to help Maldives more rupees
According to government data, India has spent about Rs 7.71 billion on development projects in Maldives during the financial year 2023-24, i.e. the financial year ending in March. This expenditure is almost double the fixed budget. Apart from this, the budget for the financial year 2024-25 has also been increased. In the budget presented in Parliament on 1 February, an amount of Rs 6 billion was allocated for Maldives. But later External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in the press conference that the budget allocated for Maldives has been revised and increased. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, about Rs 7.8 billion has been allocated for Maldives in the current financial budget.