File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (Press Trust of India)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee -- who is on a four-day visit to Bhutan - today met King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and discussed various ways of mutual collaboration including medical tourism.
"The meeting with his majesty was very cordial and we discussed several issues including ways and means to forge collaboration in areas like irrigation, potato farming, agro industry and tourism," Ms Banerjee told media persons in Thimphu.
The two deliberated on medical tourism.
"People from Bhutan mostly go to Bangkok for treatment which is very costly. We had a discussion on medical tourism to Kolkata because there the cost of treatment is far cheaper," said Ms Banerjee.
The Chief Minister said the Bhutanese King assured setting up an expert committee to look into the issue of Bhutanese rivers causing floods in Bengal.
"The discussion also focussed on flood and disaster management. The King assured setting up an expert committee to look into the causes of Bhutan rivers causing flood in Alipurduar.
"The King assured (me) that the committee will look into whether the causes are natural or there are any technical problems," added Ms Banerjee.
On the second day of her visit, the Chief Minister visited the Tara Devi temple on the outskirts of Thimphu.
Accompanied by state ministers and government officials, Ms Banerjee on Monday held discussions with Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and also participated in a business conclave attended by industry captains from the Himalayan kingdom and West Bengal.