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1st Five Year Plan (1961-1966)
The first 5 Year Plan set Bhutan on the way to planned national development. With an approved outlay of 1747 lakhs of rupees the plan aimed at creating in the country
Basic infrastructural facilities like roads, power, communication system, transport , agriculture and animal husbandry.
It provided for the development of various project viz. , (1) Roads – 620 lakhs, (2) Education –
100 lakhs (3) Transport – 75 lakhs, (4) Health – 32 lakhs, (5) Forests – 32 lakhs, (6) Agriculture – 20 lakhs, (7) Power – 16 lakhs, (8) Animal Husbandry – 15 Lakhs, (9) Industries – 11 lakhs and (10) Miscellaneous – 91 Lakhs.
The main achievements of the First Five Years Plan can now be described as under:
(1) 1770kms of roads were constructed including the 208 kms highway which connected Phuntsholing on the Indian borders with Paro and Thimphu. Other roads constructed were from Paro to Haa, from Tashigang to Darrang , and from Sarbang and Gelegphu to Charing and Trongsa.
(2) Improvements were effected in the road transport systems, and communication facilities on the modern lines were begun in the country.
(3) In the field of education, considerable progress was made. By 1966 there were 108 schools in Bhutan, including 2 public schools with a total enrolment of 15000 students.
(4) A Public Health Department under a chief medical officer was set up at Thimphu. Steps were taken to eradicate malaria. 3 hospitals and 40 new dispensaries were established in different parts of country.
(5) Department of Agriculture was established, which started a number of model agricultural farms, seeds multiplication farms, agricultural research station, and development of extension work. Efforts were made to increase the area under fruit and vegetable cultivation.
(6) A department of Animal Husbandry was set up and many live stock and sheep breeding farms were established in different parts of the country.
(7) The forest department of Bhutan initiated many measures for conserving the forest wealth and the exploitation of the forest products.
(8) Steps were taken in concert with Geological Survey of India to discover deposits of coal, dolomite, graphite, gypsum and lime stone.
(9) The Production capacities of the fruits preserving plants at Samtse and also a distillery there were increased , and theirs sale and marketing was organised in the country and India. Trade relations with India were improved.
(10) The Bhutan Government established a hydel directorate and two 400 KW Hydel Projects were constructed to served the needs of Thimphu and Paro. By an agreement with India, and Bhutan received 250 KW of power daily from the Jaldhaka river hydroelectric project for its south western region.
The achievements of the First Five Years Development Plan satisfied both Bhutan and India, an in order to accomplish a continued advance towards modernization and economic development of the country the second Five Year Plan was launched in 1966.