Neten Dorji

Mongar— As Mongar town expanded, residents of Changshingpeck and Naling, an eastern settlement, eagerly awaited the changes and opportunities that growth would bring. However, their hopes were short-lived when a construction moratorium was imposed during the development of the local area plan (LAP).

Locals of Naling and Changshingpeg have been waiting for their LAP for over two decades. During this time, some individuals were granted permission to construct permanent structures while others were not.

Currently, no construction is permitted in the Changshingpeg and Naling areas.

Timber, stones, and other construction materials are piled in front of some houses, with timber rotting as they await the finalisation of the LAP.  Residents of Changshingpeg, urging the government to permit the construction of permanent infrastructure, argue that development should progress in line with modernisation.

Leki, 84, is among the many who purchased land in Changshingpeg and have been waiting to build a house.

“We believe that development should be equitable across all communities,” Leki said. “Over the years, we have raised this issue multiple times at the dzongkhag level.”

He added that many residents are awaiting the lifting of the construction moratorium and the finalisation of the LAP.

While residents continue to wait for basic facilities like approach roads, drainage systems, and waste management, many believe that infrastructure development should be permitted.

“Infrastructure development has the potential to greatly transform the community’s economy and improve livelihoods,” said Kezang, another resident.

Kezang added that selling or sub-dividing land is currently not allowed in Naling and Changshingpeg. “This is a major concern, as we need to divide the land among our children,” he said, highlighting the pressing challenges faced by the community.

With the growing population in the thromde, Kezang noted that social change is possible while also meeting the rising demand for housing.

“Rentals and other costs have increased in town. More people and businesses will come here due to the comparative advantages,” he said.

Despite being within the town area, there are no road connections or basic facilities. Five households below the highway have to carry everything on their backs, highlighting the lack of infrastructure.

Residents express concern that, without government intervention, the community will remain stuck with this long-standing issue, unable to move forward.

Pema Choden, a resident, expressed uncertainty about whether they belong to the thromde or the gewog. “At times, gewog officials ask us to follow their directives, and at other times, the municipality authorizes our activities,” she said. “We are not eligible for subsidized timber, boulders, sand, or the free 100 units of electricity, among other things.”

She further highlighted that, despite paying urban taxes, they are not receiving the same facilities that other town residents enjoy, adding to the frustration of the community.

Residents are questioning why those in Trailing were allowed to construct buildings, while the government and dzongkhag administration have delayed finalising the LAP.

“Powerful and connected individuals are allowed to build houses with three to four-storeyed, while we are not permitted to even construct temporary structures,” one resident said.

Without approach roads, residents continue to face the burden of carrying all their supplies on their backs.

Why the delay?

According to dzongkhag administration officials, the preparation of the Changshingpeg and Naling Local Area Plan was initially delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mongar Dzongdag, Lungten Jamstho, said that the issues would be resolved once the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT) reviews the plan. “We are eagerly awaiting the structure plan and remain in constant contact with the MoIT to finalise and implement the LAP.”

The dzongkhag administration held a consultation meeting and submitted the plan for review and approval. While the process was expected to be completed by August this year, no response has yet been received from the ministry.

Lungten Jamstho said that the Changshingpeg and Naling LAP was a priority for the dzongkhag administration. “Once the ministry approves the plan, we also propose to provide basic amenities under the Small Development Programme.”

As per the Mongar Structure Plan, which covers a 20-year period from 2016 to 2040, there are two LAPs: Trailing-Jaraungkhashor and Changshingpeg-Naling. The LAP guidelines require that the plan be reviewed every five years.

The matter has also been discussed in the Mongar Dzongkhag Tshogdu, which has approached the MoIT for intervention.

The dollar issue that is dominating the news today has no link to the movie “For a Few Dollars More”, yet the story and the plot of how dollar-starved Bhutan is facing an issue of smuggling out USD could be a better story, perhaps a blockbuster.

It’s  about a small country with a smaller economy where commoners wanting to travel for their first holiday or medical tourism outside Bhutan and India are deprived of the Greenback and those with means have access to hundreds of thousands.  In the recent foreign currency smuggling bust, authorities managed to seize USD 500,000 in two separate incidents.

Hats off to the officials who did that; at least this time the USD went to the Central Bank not to Thai custom officials.  Last year, we lost USD 450,000 to Thai customs. We (including the media) are not aware who managed to put USD 450,000 in whisky bottle cover. The case is subjudice (under judicial consideration and, therefore,  prohibited from public discussion elsewhere).

Starved with USD, the most powerful currency will be an issue – who gets it, how much, how they get it and many more. How we regulate it is the question. Regulations have it that a Bhutanese travelling abroad is entitled to USD 1,000 in cash for a year and USD 2,000 in their account (if they are carrying international debit cards). It is a problem. Not many carry international debit cards and many businesses in countries where an average Bhutanese travels accept cards.

Take  for instance the night markets in Thailand where we love to shop for gifts. Two in three shops do not accept cards. They need cash. Thai Baht 30,000 is a lot of money for some; for many, it is too little when it is spread across three trips to Thailand. The alternative is to get AUD or SGD (Australian and Singapore dollars).

As an import dependent country without much export in USD, we need to limit the outflow of the scarce USD. It should not, however, be at the cost of people wanting USD for genuine reasons. It is as if the government is not trusting our people when hundreds of thousands of dollars are flowing out for reasons we cannot comprehend.

Convertible currency is a big issue in small Bhutan. The smuggling issue arises for a lot of reasons, including the restriction on how much an individual is entitled to. We need to relook into our policies. Even as we try to control the USD quota for individual traveller, we are importing tobacco and junk from as far as South Korea. Our shops, including the little paan shops, are stocked with junk imported in USD even if they are against the mandate of other institutions.

What value is there in approving imports of USD paying for tobacco or unhealthy food that would burden our already overwhelmed health system? How do our importers get access to USD to encourage consumerism or deplete the forex reserve?

As we discuss smuggling of forex, it is time to relook into our policies too. Why should conservative Bhutan not have policies to restrict imports of junk? Why should we not encourage dollar earning ventures? And above all, why should Bhutan be the route to smuggle out USD?

When restrictions are tough, people will try to do anything for a few dollars more!

Yangyel Lhaden

In the sprawling workshop at the new Serbithang Technical Training Institute (TTI), a group of trainees is huddled around a refrigerator—learning how to fix it piece by piece.

Among them is 19-year-old Jigme Tenzin Rabgay, whose aspirations extend far beyond the confines of this workshop. After finishing Class X, he tried for an Australian visa but got rejected. Now, he is learning new skills that could take him abroad. “I will apply again,” he says, with unwavering resolve. “In Australia, you can make AUD 50 an hour fixing appliances.”

But even if Australia does not happen, he has other plans up his sleeves. “I will open my own electrical shop here,” he grins. “There is good money in it.”

Another trainee, Jambay Dorji, enrolled at the TTI after not qualifying for college. “The new facilities offer a refreshing change and a more effective learning environment compared to the previous institute located at the City Bus Services (CBS) office,” he says.

The Serbithang TTI has 110 students—seven female and 103 male—and offers courses in auto mechanics, panel beating, auto painting, refrigeration and air conditioning, and auto electrics. New courses such as graphic design and heating, ventilation, and automotive technology, are also in the pipeline.

The Serbithang TTI was constructed at the cost of Nu. 419.20 million on a 6.77-acre land. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funded the construction of Serbithang TTI.

In Punakha, Khuruthang TTI introduced a new course, Computer Numerical Control (CNC), earlier this year, with ADB funding the equipment for the course.

The CNC Machinist Course Instructor at Khuruthang TTI, Johan Lorsson, said that CNC machining skills allow you to create almost anything you can imagine. “The machine uses programming and coding to make items like door hinges, vehicle parts, or gears.”

What sets CNC machining apart, he added, is its ability to produce highly accurate, precision-made parts, which is crucial for hydropower turbines where exact specifications are essential.

In Bhutan, Bhutan Hydropower Services Limited (BHSL) uses CNC machine to produce parts for hydropower projects.

Twenty-year-old Pema Dendup, a CNC trainee, dreams of working for BHSL one day. He was searching for a job when he applied to BHSL, but an official advised him to gain relevant skills first. That’s when he discovered the CNC course and enrolled.

“It almost feels like fate that I got the chance to learn a course related to the works of  BHSL,” he said. “I am loving the programming and machine learning experience, and I want to work in this field in the future.”

There are currently nine students in the CNC machinist course, and they will be the first batch to graduate early next year.

At Samthang TTI, the introduction of driving simulators funded by ADB has transformed heavy vehicle training. This driving simulator offers a safer, cost-effective way for trainees to learn heavy vehicle operation.

Previously, students had to get hands-on experience with actual vehicles, which was costly and logistically challenging.

The introduction of these simulators has not only enhanced the learning experience but also cut costs for the institute. Previously, the cost of training was around Nu 10,000 per week for fuel and Nu 40,000 for earthmovers. Now, those expenses have been significantly reduced.

“The ADB support has been crucial in equipping TTIs in the country with facilities and courses to provide valuable skills to Bhutanese youth,” Serbithang TTI principal Sonam Wangmo said.   

YK Poudel

In an effort to promote sustainable agriculture in the country, the Himalayan Agroecology Initiative (HAI) has been launched to bolster the resilience of farmers against the climate crisis.

To complement the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock’s (MoAL) efforts in implementing agrifood system, the Tarayana Foundation, a civil society organisation dedicated to grassroots development, will work to address the unique challenges faced by remote communities. This would be done through preparation of a roadmap that would guide the implementing agencies.

With support from the World Future Council and IFOAM, Organics International, a global network of organic farmers and researchers, will provide financial assistance of 50,000 Euros.

The Foundation aims to enhance biodiversity, support and mainstream sustainable agricultural practices into national policies and into community development, and foster durable value chains.

Chhimi Dorji, the Director of the Tarayana Centre for Research and Development, Tarayana Foundation, said that through a series of consultations, the initiative would develop a comprehensive roadmap for Bhutan. “These roadmaps will be presented at an international conference in 2025.”

HAI, he added, is a collaborative effort to improve livelihoods and sustainability in the region. “Our focus is on bridging national initiatives with local needs to drive meaningful development.”

Looking ahead, the director said that the process for developing the roadmap would begin with drafting the initial version and submitting it to both the Advisory Committee and Technical Working Group for review and endorsement. “Once approved, consultations will be held with various stakeholders, including bureaucrats, food industries, and businesses, across two dzongkhags and four gewogs.”

The revised version will then be resubmitted to the Advisory Committee and Technical Working Group for further review and endorsement.

“Following this, the final roadmap will be presented to policymakers, including representatives from MoAL, Ministry of Health, and Members of Parliament (MP) from both the National Assembly and National Council,” he said.

The Foundation will also convene a high-level national dialogue to bring together government officials, farmers’ organisations, businesses, food industries, and MPs.

Since its official launch in May 2024, the HAI has made significant strides. Initially, formation of the Agroecology Himalayas Task Force and the development of initial roadmap documents had been carried out. The task force composed of experts from Bhutan, India and Nepal would finalise the roadmap and launch it at a high-level conference in early next year in New Delhi, India. Following the discussion, the projects and initiatives will be implemented in the respective countries.

According to the director, the initiative has also engaged in preliminary consultations with relevant experts and stakeholders. “The development process involves reviewing existing laws and policies, forming advisory committees and technical working groups, and conducting extensive consultations with stakeholders at various levels.”

Progress so far, he said, included initial meetings with experts from the MoAL and ongoing reviews of relevant documents. “The next steps involve preparing the draft roadmap, conducting stakeholder consultations, and refining the roadmap based on feedback.”

A high-level national dialogue will consolidate recommendations and finalise country-specific roadmaps.

Ravi R Prasad, the executive director of IFOAM – Organics International, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative. He said that establishing agroecology and sustainable food systems was at the core of IFOAM’s mission.

“We are excited to scale up our efforts in the Himalayas with the World Future Council and our partners to create food systems resilient to climate change and beneficial to smallholders’ livelihoods,” he said.

Ulaç Demirag, the IFAD Representative and Country Director for India, also highlighted the importance of the initiative in aligning with national development goals.

“Sustainable food systems and natural farming are crucial to India’s development objectives. This collaborative effort will strengthen Himalayan food systems, which are vital for regional food security,” she said.

Dechen Dolkar

The Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship has proposed a budget of Nu 216 million for the Youth Engagement and Livelihood Programme (YELP) as part of the Economic Stimulus Plan. This budget will be spread over two financial years, from FY 2024-25 to FY 2025-26, with Nu 108 million allocated for each year.

Although the department announced in July that funds for YELP would be released in August, the disbursement has been delayed due to the budget not yet being made available.

The chief programme officer of the Department, Rigden Wangchuk, said that the government had already approved the budget and expects it to be released within the next couple of weeks.

The programme aims to support school-to-work transitions by providing jobseekers with opportunities to improve their skills, gain work experience, and connect with potential employers.

YELP aims to engage approximately 1,000 youths each year, with an annual budget of Nu 108 million.

Since its launch in 2019, the programme has supported 5,891 youths for 11,331 available positions.

Currently, the Department has registered 45,177 jobseekers and 62,154 employers.

  Rigden Wangchuk said that over 62 percent of youths who participated in a recent survey were employed and had their positions regularized by their employers.

To qualify for YELP, applicants must be registered job seekers aged 18 to 29 with at least a class X qualification.

The government provides a monthly stipend of Nu 5,000 to newly employed youths, regardless of their qualifications. Employers are also required to contribute an additional amount.

Rigden Wangchuk said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, age restrictions for YELP were temporarily lifted to increase youth participation.

He also mentioned that the department has revised its guidelines to align with the national minimum wage rate. This update follows reports of some employers failing to pay employees adequately.

Under the revised guidelines, the government will now provide the following monthly stipends: Nu 9,000 for university graduates, with employers contributing at least Nu 6,000; Nu 8,000 for diploma holders and National Certificate levels 2 and 3, with employers contributing a minimum of Nu 5,500; Nu 7,000 for Class XII graduates and certificate holders, with employers required to pay at least Nu 5,000; and Nu 6,000 for Class X graduates and below, with employers providing a minimum of Nu 4,500.

Employees under YELP are also entitled to provident funds, gratuities, and other contributions.

Rigden Wangchuk said that YELP’s main goal is to revive the private sector by providing government incentives to support employees’ salaries. He encouraged employers to regularize the employment of these youths. However, he mentioned that some employees leave the programme after one year in search of better opportunities.

In addition to YELP, the department has proposed a separate budget allocation of Nu 45 million for internship support and Nu 180 million for special support.

The internship programme, which lasts between one to three months and can be extended to six months, offers interns in government sectors a monthly stipend of Nu 6,000. The goal is to involve 1,250 youths annually. Special support is designated for government-initiated projects and is fully funded by the government salary based on the qualifications of youths. This initiative aims to engage 1,000 youths each year.

The department also plans to send approximately 2,500 youths abroad for employment opportunities.

Rigden Wangchuk stated that with these initiatives, the employment rate in the country is projected to reach 97.5 percent by 2029.

Currently, Bhutan’s overall unemployment rate is 3.5 percent, but youth unemployment is notably higher at 15.9 percent. The Ministry of Education and Skills Development estimates that over 83,000 job seekers will enter the job market by 2029.

YELP, launched by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment in 2019, is one of the key initiatives aimed at addressing these employment challenges.

༉ སྤ་རོ་རྒྱལ་སྤྱི་གནམ་ཐང་ནང་ ཕྱི་དངུལ་འབོར་ཆེ་དྲགས་སྦེ་ར་ འཕྱོག་བཟུང་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཡང་ ཅ་དམ་དང་ སྲུང་སྐྱོབ་འགོ་དཔོན་ཚུ་གིས་ ཐའི་ལེནཌི་གི་རྒྱལ་ས་ བེང་ཀོག་ལུ་འགྱོ་མི་ ཚོང་པ་ཕོ་སྐྱེས་ཅིག་དང་ ཨམ་སྲུ་ཅིག་ འབྲེལ་གཏོགས་ཡོད་པའི་ གནད་དོན་ཁག་༢ ནང་ ཡུ་ཨེསི་ཌོ་ལར་༥༠༠,༠༠༠ འཕྱོག་བཟུང་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
སྐྱེས་ལོ་༤༠ ལང་མི་ ཚོང་པ་ཕོ་སྐྱེས་དེ་གིས་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༩ པའི་ཚེས་༦ ལུ་ ཡུ་ཨེསི་ཌོ་ལར་༣༦༠,༠༠༠ དང་ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༤༩ ལང་མི་ ཨམ་སྲུ་དེ་གིས་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༨ པའི་ཚེས་༣༠ ལུ་ ཡུ་ཨེསི་ཌོ་ལར་༡༤༠,༠༠༠ འབག་སྟེ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
བཀྲིས་སྒང་ལས་ཨིན་མི་ ཚོང་པ་ཕོ་སྐྱེས་དེ་ ད་ལྟོ་ སྤ་རོ་ལུ་ སྡོད་དོ་ཡོདཔ་དབཞིན་དུ་ ཁོ་ར་ གནམ་གྲུ་ནང་ མ་འཛུལ་བའི་ཧེ་མར་ ཉེན་སྲུང་གི་ཞིབ་དཔྱད་འབད་བའི་སྐབས་ བཀག་བཞག་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཅ་དམ་འགོ་དཔོན་ཚུ་གིས་ དོགས་པ་ཅན་དེ་ གནམ་གྲུ་ནང་འཛུལ་ནི་ལས་ བཀག་ཆ་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཁོང་གིས་ ཡིག་ཤོག་༦ ཐོབ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཡིག་ཤོག་རེ་ནང་ ཡུ་ཨེསི་ཌོ་༦༠,༠༠༠ རེ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དངུལ་རྐྱང་དེ་ རྒྱ་གར་གྱི་ གསར་ཤོག་ནང་ ལེགས་ཤོམ་སྦེ་ བསྡམས་བཞག་ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཡང་ ཁོ་གི་ ལག་ཁར་འབག་མི་ ཁུར་ཆ་ནང་ ཌི་ཨེཆི་ཨེལ་གྱི་ ཁ་དོག་སེརཔོ་འབད་མི་ ཡིག་ཤོག་ནང་ སྦ་བཞག་སྟེ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཁོ་ར་ དེ་ཚེ་དྲོ་པ་ འབྲུག་གནམ་གྲུ་ལས་ བེང་ཀོག་ལུ་ འཕུར་འགྲུལ་འབད་ནིའི་ འཆར་གཞི་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཚོང་པ་དེ་གིས་ སྣུམ་འཁོར་གྱི་ ཡན་ལག་ཅ་ཆས་ཚུ་ ཚོང་འབྲེལ་འཐབ་དོ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཁོ་གིས་ ཧེ་མར་ ཕུན་ཚོགས་གླིང་ལུ་ ཚོང་འབྲེལ་འཐབ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
གནས་ཚུལ་བཤད་མི་ཚུ་གིས་ ཀུན་གསལ་ལུ་ སླབ་མིའི་ནང་ དོགས་པ་ཅན་གྱིས་ མ་དངུལ་ཚུ་ རྒྱ་གར་གྱི་ མི་ཅིག་ལས་ བསྡུ་ལེན་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཁོ་གིས་ ཏི་རུ་ཚུ་ ཚོང་འབྲེལ་གྱི་ཐོག་ལས་ བཏང་ནུག་ཟེར་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཁོ་ར་ བེང་ཀོག་ལུ་མ་འགྱོ་བའི་ཧེ་མར་ དོགས་ཅན་དེ་གིས་ རྒྱ་གར་གྱི་ མི་དེ་དང་འཕྱད་ཞིནམ་ལས་ ཕུན་ཚོགས་གླིང་ལུ་ ཏི་རུ་ལེན་པར་ སོང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཚོང་པ་དེ་ ཞིབ་དཔྱད་འབད་ནིའི་དོན་ལུ་ སྤ་རོ་གི་ ཁྲིམས་སྲུང་འགག་པ་ལུ་ རྩིས་སྤྲོད་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཅ་དམ་གྱི་ སྒྲིག་གཞི་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ འགྲུལ་པ་ཚུ་གིས་ ཕྱི་རྒྱལ་གྱི་ཏི་རུ་ ཡུ་ཨེསི་ཌོ་ལར་༡༠,༠༠༠ དང་འདྲ་མཉམ་ ཡང་ན་ དེ་ལས་ལྷག་པའི་ཏི་རུ་ཚུ་ འགྲུལ་པ་མ་འགྱོ་བའི་ཧེ་མ་དང་ ཡང་ན་ ལྷོད་པའི་སྐབས་ ཅ་དམ་ཡིག་ཚང་ལུ་ གསལ་སྟོན་འབད་དགོཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་ལས་ སྤྱི་ཟླ་༨ པའི་ཚེས་༣༠ ལུ་ སྐྱེས་ལོ་༤༩ ལང་མི་ ཚོང་པ་ཨམ་སྲུ་ཅིག་ སྤ་རོ་གནམ་ཐང་ནང་ མོ་རའི་ ལག་བེག་ནང་ ཡུ་ཨེསི་ཌོ་ལར་༡༤༠,༠༠༠ མཐོང་མི་ལུ་བརྟེན་ འཛིན་བཟུང་འབད་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཤོག་སྒམ་༡༤ ནང་ ཡུ་ཨེསི་ཌོ་ལར་བཙུགས་ཡོད་མི་ཚུ་ ཉེན་སྲུང་བརྟག་ཞིབ་འབད་བའི་སྐབས་ མཐོང་ཡོད་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

བཙན་སྐྱོགས་དབང་འདུས།

༉ མི་དབང་མཆོག་གི་ ཐུགས་ཀྱི་དགོངས་བཞེད་ འབྲུག་གི་དམིགས་བསལ་བདག་སྐྱོང་ལུང་ཕྱོགས་ དགེ་ལེགས ཕུག་དྲན་ཤེས་ཁྲོམ་ཚོགས་(ཇི་ཨེམ་སི)ཀྱི་ དཔལ་འབྱོར་འཆར་གཞི་ཨམ་ཚུ་ གྲ་སྒྲིག་འབད་བའི་བསྒང་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ འདས་པའི་རེས་གཟའ་སྤེན་པ་ལུ་ གསར་བཏོན་འབད་མི་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གི་ ཡོངས་འབྲེལ་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ ཡར་དྲག་དང་ གསར་བཏོན་གྱི་དོན་ལས་ དཔལ་འབྱོར་ལས་སྡེའི་ གཙོ་རིམ་༧ ངོས་འཛིན་འབད་དེ་ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ལས་འགུལ་གྱིས་ འབྲུག་གི་དཔལ་འབྱོར་ གཞི་སྒྱུར་འབད་ནི་མ་ཚད་ མི་སེར་ཚུ་གི་དོན་ལས་ མ་འོངས་གོ་སྐབས་བཟོ་བའི་སྐབས་ རྒྱལ་སྤྱི་ཚོང་ལམ་འབྲེལ་འཛིན་འབད་ནི་ལུ་ཡང་ ལྷན་ཐབས་འབད་ཚུགས་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གི་ ཡོངས་འབྲེལ་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ ཁྲོམ་དེ་ གསར་གཏོད་ཅན་གྱི་ ཁྲོམ་ཚོགས་གོང་འཕེལ་ ལས་འགུལ་ཅིག་ཨིནམ་ད་ དེ་ཡང་ དྲན་ཤེས་དང་ འཚོ་བ་ཆ་ཚང་ ཡུན་བརྟན་གྱི་གཞི་རྩ་དང་ དཔལ་འབྱོར་ཡར་དྲག་ གཅིག་སྒྲིལ་འབད་ནི་ཨིནཔས།
ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་དེ་ ལྷོ་ཡེ་ཤི་ཡ་དང་ ཨེ་སཱིན་ རྒྱ་ནག་མཐུད་སྦྲེལ་ནང་ ཆགས་ཏེ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ཇི་ཨེམ་ལུ་བརྟེན་ འབྲུག་གིས་ཡུན་བརྟན་གོང་འཕེལ་ཁས་ལེན་དང་ དེ་གི་ ལམ་སྲོལ་གྱི་སྲོལ་ཁྱུན་ཕྱུགཔོ་ དེ་ལས་ དེ་གི་ གཞུང་སྐྱོང་གཞི་བཀོད་ སྒྲིང་སྒྲི་ཡོད་མི་ཚུ་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་གིས་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་དེ་ འཛམ་གླིང་ནང་ དྲན་ཤེས་འགོ་ཁྲིདཔ་དང་ ཡུན་བརྟན་ཁྲོམ་ཚོགས་གོང་འཕེལ་ཅིག་སྦེ་ གཞི་བཙུགས་འབད་ནི་ རེ་བ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་དེ་ ཡུན་བརྟན་མཉམ་བསྡོམ་དང་ ཆོས་འབྲེལ་ཞི་བདེ་ ཚོང་འབྲེལ་གྲུབ་འབྲས་འཚོལ་མི་ཚུ་གི་ འཛམ་གླིང་ཚོང་འབྲེལ་དང་ ཁྱད་རིག་ཚུ་གི་དོན་ལུ་ ས་གོ་ཅིག་ཨིནམ་ད་ ལས་འགུལ་དེ་ “རང་བཞིན་དང་བཟོ་སྐྲུན་”གྱི་ ལྟ་བ་དང་འཁྲིལ་འབད་ནི་ཨིནམ་ལས་ འབྲེལ་ཡོད་གཞི་བཀོད་ཚུ་ ཉམས་མེད་ཀྱི་ གནས་སྟངས་དང་ གཅིག་སྒྲིལ་འབད་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་དེ་ གསར་སྤང་རྫོང་ཁག་ དགེ་ལེགས་ཕུག་ལུ་ ཀི་ལོ་མི་ཊར་གྲུ་བཞི་༢,༥༠༠ ནང་ གཞི་བཙུགས་འབད་ནི་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཁྲོམ་སྡེ་གིས་ རང་བཞིན་གནས་སྟངས་དང་ ཆོས་དང་འབྲེལ་བའི་ བརྩི་མཐོང་ཐོག་ལས་ ཚོང་འབྲེལ་དང་ ཁྱད་རིག་ཅན་ཚུ་ལུ་ སེམས་ཤུགས་ཐོབ་ཚུགས་ནི་ཨིནམ་བཞིན་དུ་ དེ་གིས་ དཔལ་འབྱོར་གྲུབ་འབྲས་ གཅིག་མཐུན་བཟོ་ཚུགས་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ད་རེས་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གིས་ རྒྱལ་སྤྱི་ནང་འཁོད་ཀྱི་ ལས་སྡེ་དང་ ཚོང་འབྲེལ་པ་ དེ་ལས་ ཁྱད་རིག་ཅན་ ངོ་རྐྱང་ཚུ་ལས་ དང་འདོད་ཀྱི་ བསམ་བརྗོད་ཚུ་ ལེན་པའི་བསྒང་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གོང་འཕེལ་ནང་ དཔལ་འབྱོར་མཉམ་སྡེ་ གཙོ་རིམ་༧ ལུ་ གཙོ་རིམ་བཟུང་ནི་ཨིནམ་ད་ དེ་ཚུ་ཡང་ ཆོས་དང་ གསོ་བ་དང་ཞི་བདེ་ ཤེས་རིག་དང་ཡོན་ཏན་ སྔོ་ལྗངས་ ཡང་ཅིན་ འཕྲུལ་རིག་བཟོ་གྲྭ་ དངུལ་འབྲེལ་ སོ་ནམ་འཕྲུལ་རིག་དང་ནགས་ཚལ་ དེ་ལས་ མཁའ་འགྲུལ་དཔལ་འབྱོར་ཚུ་ཨིན་པས།
ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གིས་ ཆོས་ཕྱོགས་ཕྱུག་པའི་ལམ་སྲོལ་གྱི་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་འདི་ གལ་གནད་ཆེ་བའི་ གསང་སྔགས་རྡོ་རྗེ་ཐེག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ་བཟོ་ནིའི་དོན་ལུ་ ཆོས་ཕྱོགས་ཀྱི་ལས་འགུལ་ཚུ་ལུ་ རྒྱབ་སྐྱོར་འབད་ནི་ཨིནམ་བཞིན་དུ་ དེ་གིས་ ལྟ་བཤལ་གོང་འཕེལ་ཐབས་བྱུས་ལུ་ ཡར་དྲག་གཏང་ཚུགས་པའི་ རེ་བ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
གསོ་བ་དང་ ཞི་བའི་ལས་སྡེ་ནང་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གི་ ཉམས་མེད་གནས་སྟངས་དང་ ཁས་ལེན་དྲན་ཤེས་ཀྱིས་ འཛམ་གླིང་ནང་ དྲག་ཤོས་ཅན་གྱི་ གསོ་བ་དང་ ཞི་བདེ་ལྟེ་བ་ལྷན་ཐབས་འབད་ནི་དང་ དེ་ནང་ གཙོ་རིམ་བཟུང་མི་གིས་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་དེ་ གསོ་བའི་ལྟ་བཤལ་དང་ གཅིག་བསྡུས་སྨན་བཅོས་ དེ་ལས་ ཞིབ་འོལ་དང་གོང་འཕེལ་གྱི་ འགོ་ཁྲིདཔ་ཅིག་སྦེ་ བཟོ་ཚུགས་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ཁྲོམ་སྡེའི་ཤེས་རིག་ལས་སྡེ་དེ་ ཡོན་ཏན་དཔལ་འབྱོར་གྱི་ གཞི་འགྱམ་ཅིག་སྦེ་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཆེ་རིམ་ཤེས་ཡོན་དང་ འཕྲུལ་རིག་ལྷབ་སྦྱང་གཙུག་སྡེ་ཚུ་ལུ་ ངོས་ལེན་འབད་དེ་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གིས་ རིག་སྟོབས་གོང་འཕེལ་དང་གསར་གཏོད་ཅན་གྱི་ གནས་སྟངས་སྒྲིང་སྒྲི་ དེ་ལས་ ལས་སྡེ་ག་རའི་ནང་ གོང་འཕེལ་གཏང་ནི་ལུ་ དམིགས་གཏད་བསྐྱེད་དེ་ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དངུལ་འབྲེལ་ལྟེ་བའི་ནང་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གིས་ དཔལ་འབྱོར་གྱི་གཙོ་བོ་༣ རྒྱ་ནག་དང་ རྒྱ་གར་ དེ་ལས་ བང་ལ་དེཤ་ཚུ་ལུ་ རྒྱལ་སྒོ་ཅིག་སྦེ་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ཨིན་མི་དེ་ཡང་ མ་རྩ་གཞི་བཙུགས་འབད་ནི་ལུ་ གོ་སྐབས་བྱིན་ཐོག་ལས་ འབད་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
སོ་ནམ་འཕྲུལ་རིག་དང་ ནགས་ཚལ་ཁྲོམ་སྡེ་གཙོ་རིམ་ནང་ འབྲུག་གི་ཕྱིར་ཚོང་དང་འབྲེལ་བའི་ སོ་ནམ་དང་བཟའ་འཐུང་ལས་སྡེ་དང་ འོས་འབབ་ཅན་གྱི་ ཤིང་ཆས་ཚུ་ བཟོ་སྐྲུན་ཅ་ཆས་ཅིག་སྦེ་ རྒྱ་སྐྱེད་གཏང་ནི་ལུ་ དམིགས་གཏད་བསྐྱེད་དེ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ ལས་རིམ་དེ་ལུ་བརྟེན་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་དེ་ བཟོ་སྐྲུན་དང་ བརྟག་དཔྱད་ དེ་ལས་ ཕྱིར་ཚོང་གི་ ལྟེ་བ་ཅིག་སྦེ་ གཞི་བཙུགས་འབད་ནི་ཨིན་པས།
ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་གི་ ཡོངས་འབྲེལ་དང་འཁྲིལ་བ་ཅིན་ ཇི་ཨེམ་སི་དེ་ རང་དབང་ཅན་གྱི་ བཀོད་ཁྱབ་དང་ ཁྲིམས་བཟོ་ དྲང་ཁྲིམས་ལམ་ལུགས་ཚུ་འོང་ནི་ཨིནམ་ད་ དེ་ལུ་ བློ་གཏད་དང་ འགན་འཁྲི་གི་དོན་ལས་ སྲིད་བྱུས་ཚུ་ འོང་ནི་ཨིན་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

ཨོ་རྒྱན་རྡོ་རྗེ།

༉ ཆུ་ཤོག་གི་ ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་འཛིན་སྐྱོང་བརྗོད་དོན་ཐོག་ལུ་ ལས་སྡེ་༢༢ ཀྱིས་ དོ་འགྲན་འབད་བའི་སྐབས་ལུ་ རང་བཞིན་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་མཐོ་རིམ་སློབ་གྲྭ་གིས་ ཨང་དང་པ་ ཐོན་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་ཡང་ འབྲུག་གི་ ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་འཛིན་སྐྱོང་ཁྱད་རིག་ནང་ ཚོང་ཁང་༡༤ གིས་ ཉིནམ་གཉིས་ཀྱི་ འགྲེམས་སྟོན་ལས་རིམ་འགོ་འདྲེན་འཐབ་མིའི་ནང་ལས་ འབྲུག་སྐྱེ་ལྡན་ལས་ཚོགས་དེ་ ཆུ་ཤོག་གི་ ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་བསྡུ་བསྒྱོམ་ནུས་ལྡན་ཅན་གྱི་ མཉམ་འབྲེལ་བ་ སྐྱེ་ལྡན་ལས་ཚོགས་ཀྱི་ ཆ་ཤས་སྦེ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དུས་སྟོན་དེ་གི་ དམིགས་ཡུལ་གཙོ་བོ་དེ་ གཙང་ཆུའི་མཐའ་མ་ལས་ཕར་ གཙང་སྦྲ་དང་ ཆུ་ཤོག་ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་འཛིན་སྐྱོང་གི་ ཕན་ནུས་ཅན་གྱི་ བདེ་སྒྲིག་ཅིག་སྦེ་ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
རང་བཞིན་ཐོན་སྐྱེད་མཐོ་རིམ་སློབ་གྲྭའི་ སྡེ་ཚན་གྱི་འཐུས་མི་ དབང་འདུས་རིག་གསལ་གྱིས་ བཤད་མིའི་ནང་ སྡེ་ཚན་དེ་གིས་ ད་ལས་ཕར་ མཐོ་རིམ་སློབ་གྲྭའི་སློབ་ཕྲུག་དང་ ས་གནས་ཀྱི་མི་སྡེ་ ཉེ་འདབས་ལུ་ཡོད་པའི་ ཨ་ནེམོ་ཚུ་དང་ མཉམ་འབྲེལ་ཐོག་ལས་ མཐོ་རིམ་སློབ་གྲྭའི་ ས་གནས་མཐའ་འཁོར་དང་ ཆུ་ཤོག་བསྐྱར་བཟོ་འབད་ནིའི་དོན་ལུ་ ལཱ་ཚུ་འབད་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཆུ་ཤོག་ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་མིའི་གྱངས་ཁ་དེ་ མཐོ་རིམ་སློབ་གྲྭའི་ཉེ་འདབས་ལས་ཕར་ མང་སུ་ཐོན་དོ་ཡོདཔ་བཞིན་དུ་ དེ་གིས་ མཐའ་འཁོར་གནས་སྟངས་དང་ མིའི་ཚེ་སྲོག་ལུ་ཡང་ ཉེན་ཁ་ཚུ་ སྦོམ་སྦེ་ར་ འཐོན་སྲིད་ནི་མས་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
སྡེ་ཚན་ལས་འགུལ་འཆར་གཞི་དེ་ ཆུ་ཤོག་གི་རིགས་ཚུ་ ལོག་བསྐྱར་བཟོ་འབད་ནི་དང་ བསྐྱར་བཅོས་འབད་ནི་ དེ་ལས་ ལེགས་བཅོས་ཚུ་ འབད་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་བསྐྱར་གསོ་བྱ་རིམ་དང་འབྲེལ་ སློབ་ཕྲུག་དང་ སློབ་དཔོན་ མི་སྡེ་ཚུ་གིས་ ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་ཚུ་ བསྡུ་ལེན་འབད་ཞིནམ་ལས་ ས་ཁོངས་ཚུ་ནང་ བསྐྱལ་ནི་དང་ ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་ཚུ་ ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་འཛིན་སྐྱོང་ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་ནང་ བཙོང་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
སྡེ་ཚན་གྱིས་ ས་གནས་ཀྱི་ལས་ཚོགས་ཁག་དང་ སྔོ་ལྗང་སྡེ་ཚན་ ཀི་ལིན་བྷུ་ཊན་ ཊིམ་ཅེནཇི་ འབྲུག་ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་ཉོག་སེལ་ཚུ་དང་ མཉམ་འབྲེལ་འབད་ཐོག་ལས་ ཡར་དྲག་གཏང་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
སློབ་གྲྭ་གིས་ གསོལ་རས་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་༡༥,༠༠༠ ཐོབ་མི་དེ་ ལས་འགུལ་གོང་འཕེལ་གཏང་ནིའི་དོན་ལུ་ ལག་ལེན་འཐབ་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིནམ་ད་ ཐབས་བྱུས་དེ་ ཡུན་བརྟན་ཅན་ཨིན་མི་དེ་ཡང་ མཐོ་རིམ་སློབ་གྲྭ་ནང་ སྡེ་ཚན་གྱི་ལཱ་འབད་ནི་དང་ གཞན་ཡང་ གྲོགས་རམ་གྱི་ལཱ་ཚུ་ འབད་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ དབང་འདུས་རིག་གསལ་གྱིས་ བཤདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
ཁོ་གིས་ བཤད་མིའི་ནང་ ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་འཛིན་སྐྱོང་ཐབས་བྱུས་དེ་ སློབ་གྲྭ་དང་ རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཀྱི་མི་སྡེ་ མི་སྡེའི་ནང་ གྲལ་གཏོགས་འབད་བཅུག་ནི་དང་ མཉམ་འབྲེལ་འབད་ནི་ དེ་ལས་ གཞི་རྟེན་མཐུན་རྐྱེན་ཡར་དྲག་བཏང་ནི་ཚུ་ འབད་ནི་ཨིན་ཟེར་ཨིན་པས།
ཨང་གཉིས་པ་དེ་ མུ་ཏིག་ཐང་འབྲིང་རིམ་སློབ་གྲྭ་གོང་མ་གིས་ ཐོབ་ཡོདཔ་ད་ སློབ་གྲྭ་གིས་ ཨང་གཉིས་པའི་གསོལ་རས་ དངུལ་ཀྲམ་༡༠,༠༠༠ ཐོབ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དེ་ལས་ ཨང་གསུམ་པ་དེ་ དབང་གསལ་སྤེལ་ཁང་གིས་ ཐོབ་ཡོདཔ་ལས་ སྤེལ་ཁང་ལུ་ གསོལ་རས་དངུལ་ཀྲམ་༥,༠༠༠ ཐོབ་ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པས།
དུས་སྟོན་དེ་ཁར་ རྒྱལ་ཁབ་ནང་འཁོད་ལས་ བཅའ་མར་གཏོགས་མི་༦༢༠ ཡོདཔ་ད་ དེ་ཡང་ སློབ་གྲྭའི་སློབ་ཕྲུག་དང་ མཐོ་རིམ་སློབ་ཕྲུག་ སློབ་དཔོན་ གཞུང་ གཞུང་མིན་ལས་སྡེ་ ཕྱགས་སྙིགས་འཛིན་སྐྱོང་ལས་སྡེ་ཚུ་ ཡོདཔ་ཨིན་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

ཚེ་རིང་དབང་འདུས།

ད་རིས་ མི་དབང་རྒྱལ་པོའི་སྲས་མོ་ བསོད་ནམས་གཡང་སྒྲོན་དབང་ཕྱུག་མཆོག་ སྐུ་འཁྲུངས་ཏེ་ དགུང་ལོ་༡ བཞེས་པའི་ དུས་སྟོན་གྱི་ཉིནམ་ ཁྱད་པར་ཅན་དང་བསྟུན་ དཔལ་འབྲུག་པ་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ སྐྱབས་མགོན་ངག་དབང་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་གྱི་ སྐུ་འདྲ་ཡིད་བཞིན་ནོར་བུ་༢༠༥ གི་རྩིས་ རྒེད་འོག་༢༠༥ ནང་ བགོ་བཀྲམ་འབད་ཡོད་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

ད་རིས་ མི་དབང་རྒྱལ་པོའི་སྲསམོ་ བསོད་ནམས་གཡང་སྒྲོན་དབང་ཕྱུག་མཆོག་ དགུང་ལོ་༡ བཞེས་པའི་ སྐུའི་འཁྲུངས་སྐར་དུས་སྟོན་བརྩི་སྲུང་ལུ་ ཀུན་གསལ་ལས་འཛིན་ཚད་ཀྱིས་ ལྷག་བསམ་རྣམ་དག་གི་སྒོ་ལས་ བཀྲིས་ལེགས་སྨོན་ཞུཝ་ཨིན།

ད་རིས་ འབྲུག་མི་དད་ཅན་སྟོང་ཕྲག་ལས་བཅད་མི་ཚུ་གིས་ ཐིམ་ཕུག་བཀྲིས་ཆོས་རྫོང་གི་ རྡོ་གཅལ་ནང་ ལོ་བསྟར་གནང་སྲོལ་ཡོད་པའི་ ལྷ་མོའི་སྒྲོམ་མཆོད་ཀྱི་ བྱིན་བརླབས་ཅན་གྱི་ སྐུ་འཆམ་ཚུ་མཇལ་བར་ འཛོམས་ཡོད་པའི་གནས་ཚུལ།

Chencho Dema

In a major foreign currency bust at the Paro International Airport, customs and security officials seized undeclared sums of USD 500,000 in two separate incidents involving a businessman and a businesswoman, both bound for Bangkok, Thailand.

The businessman, in his 40s, was caught with USD 360,000 on September 6 while the 49-year-old woman was caught with USD 140,000 on August 30.

The businessman, originally from Trashigang but now based in Paro, was stopped during the security check before entering the boarding area.

Customs officials successfully stopped the suspect from boarding the flight after uncovering six envelopes, each containing USD 60,000. The cash was meticulously wrapped in Indian newspaper and concealed within yellow DHL envelopes inside his check-in luggage.

He was scheduled to take the Bhutan airlines flight to Bangkok that morning.

The businessman reportedly deals in vehicle spare parts. He previously ran a business in Phuentsholing.

Sources told Kuensel that the suspect is believed to have collected the money from an Indian contact, who handed over the money through business dealings. Prior to his travel to Bangkok, the suspect had travelled to Phuentsholing to meet the Indian man to collect the dollars.

        The purpose of the money and its intended recipient are still uncertain, but it is suspected that the cash was meant for an Indian man based in Bangkok. Sources indicate that the USD might have been intended for the purchase of gold.

The businessman has been handed over to the Paro police for investigation.

Customs regulations require travellers to declare any foreign currency equivalent to or exceeding USD 10,000 to customs either before departure or upon arrival.

In a separate incident on August 30, the 49-year-old businesswoman was detained at the Paro Airport with USD 140,000 in her hand luggage. The cash, neatly organised into 14 packets of USD 100 each, was discovered during security screening.

From Paro, the businesswoman was scheduled to fly on an evening Drukair flight.

Sources told Kuensel that in her statement, she claimed that the money was borrowed from an Indian man in Jaigaon to purchase a cargo container in Bangkok.

Sources indicated that while USD 100,000 was a loan, the remaining USD 40,000 was her own savings.

Both suspects have been released on bail, and the seized currency has been transferred to the Royal Monetary Authority.

Dechen Dolkar

The Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC), a special administrative region in Bhutan, is leveraging the expertise of more than 150 international development partners to realise the ambitious urban development project envisioned by His Majesty the King.

The newly unveiled GMC website highlights eight key global collaborators who will drive various facets of the project.

Leading the project management is Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Limited (MQDC), a Thailand-based property developer known for its residential, community, retail, and hotel projects. The MQDC operates under the philosophy of ‘For All Well-Being’ and provides a 30-year warranty on its residential units, reflecting its commitment to exceptional construction standards.

The company emphasises ‘sustainnovation’ in its projects, aiming to lead in sustainability across its developments. The MQDC also supports the Research and  Innovation for Sustainability Centre (RISC), Asia’s first research hub focused on sustainable building, and operates the FutureTales Lab, a futurology centre aimed at finding solutions for future well-being.

Urban design and planning will be spearheaded by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), a prestigious global architecture firm with a reputation for innovative urbanism and design. With offices in Copenhagen, New York, and London, BIG will shape GMC’s architectural vision and urban landscape.

British firm ARUP, renowned for its work on landmark projects like the Beijing 2008 Olympics’ Bird Nest Stadium and Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, is entrusted with infrastructure engineering, including mobility, water, energy, and digital systems.

CISTRI, specialising in strategic economics, will oversee land-use planning and economic strategy. The firm, based in Singapore, provides independent, evidence-based advice on urban development and has extensive experience in supporting projects across Asia Pacific, Greater China, and the Middle East.

NACO, a division of Royal HaskoningDHV, will focus on airport feasibility studies and planning. With a track record of over 75 years, NACO brings expertise in designing future-ready airports with an emphasis on sustainability.

ERM, a global leader in environmental consulting, will manage wildlife and ecological preservation for the GMC project. With more than 8,000 employees worldwide, ERM provides services in sustainability, risk management, and ecological conservation.

CDR, an independent hydrology consultant, will handle river system management, flood control, and assess the ecological impacts of the project. Based in the Netherlands, CDR specialises in coastal, river, and port engineering.

Teneo, a New York-based strategic communications firm, will provide public relations and advisory services. One of the Big Four firms in its sector, Teneo offers expertise in communications, strategy, and crisis management.

YK Poudel

A striking installation featuring a large brown trout made quite a buzz at the ‘Plastic: Waste and Resources Expo’ drawing the attention of over 620 participants.

Dubbed the ‘depressed fish’, the eye-catching display, placed at the entrance to the Expo, aimed to spotlight the dire consequences of microplastic pollution on aquatic life in Bhutan’s rivers.

Designed and crafted by Environmental Management Programme students of Royal Thimphu College (RTC) in partnership with the Bhutan Ecological Society, the model was constructed over the course of a few weeks using metal, mesh fencing, and decorated with tapes and paints.

One of the team members, Sangay Choden, said that the exhibit quickly captured public interest, educating hundreds about the impact of plastic pollution within two-days. “Our model illustrates the issue of plastic waste and its contribution to the bio-magnification of microplastics in river systems.”

The display features five compartments for various types of plastics—polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene—to emphasise the need for proper waste segregation at the source.

She said that several teachers were interested to replicate a similar model to advocate the impact of plastic on aquatic life and the entire ecosystem.

“We come here with three important Call to Actions: proper segregation of waste, plastic alternatives and policy advocacy,” she said. “Segregation at the source, community involvement, reduction of the plastic waste, innovation, strict regulations and education are some of the interventions we call for.”

Despite the lack of direct engagement from officials and policymakers, the team believes their model has significant advocacy potential. They suggest that placing it in Changyul Park could further amplify its message.

A focal person of the project and a lecturer at RTC, Tshewang Dorji, said that the model’s primary goal is to raise public awareness about the detrimental effects of plastic pollution on freshwater ecosystems and native fish species. “In Bhutan fish species especially the snow trout, brown trout and golden mahseer are vulnerable.”

Research has shown that fish across various trophic levels in Bhutan are ingesting plastics, he said, mistaking them for food. “This exposure to microplastics leads to increased mortality rates, reduced reproductive success, altered feeding habits, and overall stress among fish populations.”

The phenomenon of biomagnification, where toxins in microplastics accumulate up the food chain, poses a significant threat to human health as well.

Globally, plastic pollution is reaching alarming levels, with over 700 marine species, including various fish, ingesting plastic. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, for instance, contains an estimated 1.8 trillion plastic pieces, with 35 percent of the region’s fish species consuming microplastics as part of their diet.

MoH and JICA organise a one-day fair on antenatal care, post-natal care and nutrition

Jigmi Wangdi

The Ministry of Health (MoH) and the JICA Bhutan Office organised a one-day fair to promote maternal and child health, focused on Antenatal Care (ANC), Postnatal Care (PNC), and nutrition on September 7.

The event aimed to promote health-seeking behaviour among pregnant and lactating women and educate them, along with their families, on the importance of ANC and PNC visits, maternal nutrition, and other crucial aspects of a healthy pregnancy.

A team from the Project for Strengthening Maternal and Child Health by Telemedicine System Establishment, JICA Volunteers stationed at health facilities across Bhutan, health workers from Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), periphery health facilities, and students and faculty from the Faculty of Nursing and Public Health (FoNPH) provided health advocacy and information to participants.

The Chief Representative of JICA Bhutan, Tomoyuki Yamada, said that the fair reflects a longstanding collaboration in maternal and child health. “We are aware that MoH and Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan are taking the lead on this,” he said, adding that the fair can contribute to disseminating the government’s programmes to the public.

He said that depending on this year’s outcomes, the event could become an annual fixture.

A JICA volunteer who is a dietician working at the Wangdicholing General Hospital in Bumthang, Minori Ohira, said that nutrition and dietary habits are crucial for both mother and the child.

“Proper nutrition is essential for both mothers and their children. For instance, replacing rice with quinoa can significantly boost nutritional value,” she said.

She stressed the need for ongoing advocacy to raise awareness about the benefits of a balanced diet. “Of course, change does not come easily. But we have to keep advocating repeatedly on creating awareness of the importance of nutrition in mother and child so that the significance of this is realised in time,” she said.

The fair offered various interactive services, including an iCTG Booth for antenatal check-ups that monitored foetal heart rate and uterine contractions using a mobile cardio topography machine.

Participants also received guidance on introducing solid foods to infants and were shown how to prepare nutritious meals for babies starting at six months.

They also shared information on maintaining proper nutrition during pregnancy and lactation.

The maternal and child health fair supports Bhutan’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, which focuses on good health and well-being, particularly reducing maternal and neonatal mortality rates.

The collaboration between MoH and JICA seeks to enhance health outcomes for mothers and children and contribute to global health targets.

Bhutan is taking critical steps to improve childhood cancer care in light of rising concerns about survival rates and timely diagnosis. The recent data from the National Cancer Registry reveals that from 2019 to 2022, 58 cases of childhood cancer were recorded, with a nearly equal gender distribution. These alarming statistics highlight the need for immediate and sustained attention to childhood cancer, a largely treatable condition if diagnosed early.

The Bhutan Cancer Control Strategy 2019-2025 emphasises the importance of ensuring early diagnosis, prompt treatment, and eliminating delays. This strategy aims to mobilise resources, build capacity, and remove financial barriers that prevent children from accessing essential cancer care.

At the heart of this initiative is Bhutan’s alignment with the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, which aims to achieve a global survival rate of at least 60 percent by 2030. The health ministry’s target of achieving 100 percent cancer screening coverage by the 13th Plan is an ambitious and yet necessary goal. Every child diagnosed with cancer represents not only a life at risk but also an opportunity for the healthcare system to respond with efficiency and compassion.

However, gaps remain in our national cancer care infrastructure, particularly in the areas of diagnosis and treatment. The referral process, which currently sends young cancer patients abroad for treatment, places an additional strain on families and points to the need for stronger domestic capabilities.

Plans to improve Bhutan’s capacity for childhood cancer care are underway. One paediatrician is set to receive specialised training in haemato-oncology, and two medical officers are being trained in oncology this year. These initiatives represent a crucial step towards building a sustainable and self-reliant healthcare system. Moreover, the establishment of a shared care network through the South-East Asia Childhood Cancer Network will further enhance our capacity by enabling local doctors and nurses to manage paediatric cancer cases more effectively.

Such a collaborative network, coupled with ongoing efforts to raise awareness through partnerships with organizations like the Bhutan Cancer Society, will help educate the public and reduce the stigma surrounding cancer.

Our approach to addressing childhood cancer must be grounded in proactive healthcare policies and long-term investments in medical training and infrastructure. As the health ministry strengthens its resolve, the government must continue to prioritise the development of a robust cancer care system that leaves no child behind. If we can ensure timely diagnosis and access to care, we can meet—and perhaps even exceed—the global targets set by the WHO.

The road ahead is challenging, but with strong political will, community involvement, and investment in our healthcare system, we can secure a brighter future for every child battling cancer. The stakes are high, and we cannot afford to delay.

YK Poudel

Competing among 22 hackathon pitches, the Plastic Champions team from the College of Natural Resources (CNR) clinched top position at the Plastic Waste and Resources Hackathon, with their concept of a waste bank, an appropriate model to be applied in circular economic practices.

Hosted by the Bhutan Ecological Society as part of its ‘Reimagining Effective Partnerships for Tackling Plastic Waste and River Pollution’ initiative, the two-day expo featured 14 stalls from waste management professionals across Bhutan.

The event aimed to highlight effective solutions for managing plastic waste and river pollution.

One of the team members from CNR, Wangdi Rigsel, said that the team would now engage with the college students, management, local community and the nearby nunnery to work on the mounting plastics in and around the CNR premises. “The pervasive use of plastic products has led to a substantial accumulation of plastic waste on campus, posing a threat to both the environment and human health.”

The team’s project plans to implement circular economy practices by focusing on re-use, recycle, and up-cycling concepts.  “As a part of the waste repository process the students, faculty and communities will collect trash which are recyclable and would be dumped at a waste collection facility,” he said. “The waste will then be sold to waste management agencies in the locality.”

The team plans to collaborate with various local organisations, including Greener Way, Clean Bhutan, Team Change, and Druk Trash Solution to enhance their efforts.

The Nu 15,000 prize money will support further development of their project. “The idea is sustainable as the college has various clubs working and advocating on similar avenues contributing to about eight global SDGs,” Wangdi Rigsel said.

He said that the waste bank concept could be expanded to schools and communities nationwide, leveraging community involvement, partnerships, and infrastructure development.

In Thimphu, innovative waste management practices include recycling and up-cycling waste into reusable products, reducing environmental impact and promoting the economy.

The runner-up prize went to Motithang HSS for their automated waste segregation bin, designed to streamline the waste separation process. The bin uses sensors to automatically categorize waste, a step forward in waste management technology. The school received Nu 10,000 for their efforts.

A member of the runner-up team from Motithang HSS, Tenzin Doelma,  said that the manual way of waste segregation has become cumbersome. “The bin has a flap with a sensor which detects the type of waste dumped in and segregates inside accordingly,” she said. “The school has invested and supported this project and we are hoping to bring it out soon.”

The Wangsel Institute of Deaf secured the second runner-up position with a prize of Nu 5,000.

According to Phub Dorji, one of the organisers from BES, the expo’s goal was to educate the community, showcase innovative solutions, and foster youth engagement. “This expo served as a platform to educate, engage, and empower the Bhutanese community, especially the youth, to champion the cause of plastic-free rivers.”

The event attracted more than 620 participants, including school and college students, teachers, government and non-government officials and waste management agencies from across the country.

KP Sharma

Samtse—In a bid to enhance the livelihoods of persons with disabilities (PWDs) and their caregivers, a three-month tailoring programme is currently underway in Samtse.

The training programme is organised by the Ability Bhutan Society (ABS) in collaboration with RENEW, with support from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association.

The programme, which currently involves 11 participants—nine caregivers and two PWDs—focuses on imparting basic tailoring skills with an emphasis on Bhutanese attire.

According to the dzongkhag coordinator for ABS, Junu Gurung, the training prioritises women, individuals with severe disabilities who are unable to participate directly, and their parents and caregivers.  “Our goal is to assist those who face economic hardships and provide them with skills that can support their livelihoods,” she said.

This initiative is not the first of its kind for ABS. Similar programmes on skill development for marginalised groups were previously conducted in Zhemgang and Tsirang.  “Through these trainings, we provide skills to  our beneficiaries and help them become independent,” she said.

The training sessions are hosted by RENEW at their facility in Samtse, with Tshering Dema—who has specialised training from India—serving as the lead instructor.

The centre manager for RENEW Community Service in Samtse, Tashi Wangdi, said that the programme also aims to challenge the societal perceptions about the capabilities of PWDs in the society.

“There is a prevailing notion that PWDs cannot lead independent lives. This programme seeks to dispel that myth by demonstrating their capabilities when given the right opportunities,” he said.

The program also aims to alleviate the financial challenges faced by caregivers by providing them with a source of income. “When caregivers are equipped with skills that enable them to earn, it reduces their financial burden and allows them to offer better support to PWDs,” Tashi Wangdi said.

For participants like 21-year-old Sonam Tamang from Tading, the training offers hope and practical benefits. As a caregiver for his paralysed father, he values the ability to work from home, a significant advantage compared to his previous agricultural work that required long-distance travel.

“Tailoring is something I can do from home with minimal setup, which is perfect given my situation,” he said.

Similarly, 24-year-old caregiver Anjana Bhujel, who looks after her grandfather suffering from asthma and blood pressure, heard about the training through a contact in Chukha and registered through her local chiwog tshogpa.

“I used to remain idle when my grandfather was resting, but now that I have learned tailoring, I think I can do something productive while taking care of him,” she said.

She hopes to start a small tailoring business once she returns to her village.

Staff Reporter

Two Bhutanese female journalists are among 14 recipients of the 2024 South Asia Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity (SALMAAGS), which recognises their contributions to advancing gender sensitivity in South Asian media.

Damchoe Pem, 34, a freelance journalist and Yangyel Lhaden, 27, a reporter with Kuensel, are the first Bhutanese female journalist to win these awards.

Damchoe Pem has more than a decade of experience in journalism. As a full-time reporter, she primarily covered issues related to women and children, employment, crime, LGBTQI, gender, and the judiciary.

In 2023, she also won the ‘Best Gender Sensitive Story of the Year’ award at the Annual Journalism Award ceremony organised by the Journalists’ Association of Bhutan.

Yangyel Lhaden began her career as a reporter at Kuensel in 2020, initially covering stories on women and children. While her current focus has shifted to environmental and conservation issues, she continues to address gender topics in her reporting.

  “While our primary role as journalists is to inform the public, there is no greater joy than having your stories read, shared, and recognised. Such awards motivate us to work harder and add value to the work we do every day,” she said.

The SALMAAGS Award, which celebrates the media’s role in shaping gender perceptions, was officially announced on August 1.

This year marks the fourth edition of the Awards, which spans seven South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the Maldives.

These awards are an initiative of Population First, a Mumbai-based social impact organisation that has been working for over two decades to promote gender sensitivity in media nationwide.

The Award issupported by the UNFPA and in collaboration with South Asian Women in Media (SAWM), the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA), and the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA).

The award ceremony will be held at Tata Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai on October 9.

The 2024 list of awardees for SALMAAGS award also include Shumana Sharmin and Taposhi Rabeya Akhi from Bangladesh, Sonali Wanigabaduge and Aanya Wipulasena from Sri Lanka, Aishath Mohamed and Zamath Ahmed Waheed from Maldives, Binita Dahal and Kalpana Bhattarai from Nepal, Jamaima Afridi and Rabia Arshad from Pakistan, and Zarghuna Salehi and Waslat Khan from Afghanistan.

Established in April 2008, SAWM is a network of women media professionals in South Asia, dedicated to advancing press freedom, increasing women’s participation in media, and fostering a gender-sensitive work environment. With its central secretariat in Lahore, Pakistan, SAWM operates with country chapters across eight SAARC nations.

Thinley Namgay

In a gripping conclusion to their second FIFA Friendly against Bangladesh, the Dragon Boys emerged victorious with a 1-0 win at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu yesterday.

The decisive moment came in the dying minutes of the match when winger Kinga Wangchuk scored a thrilling goal, breaking a tense stalemate and sealing the victory for Bhutan.

Kinga Wangcuk’s right foot found the net from a short distance, as he remained unmarked and was assisted by Pema Dhendup. It was impossible for the opposing goalie to intercept.

The goal sent the entire crowd in the stadium, who had been desperately cheering throughout the last two games, into a frenzy.

Kinga Wangchuk, who plays for Paro FC, entered the pitch in the second half.

The win was a significant rebound for Bhutan, coming after a 1-0 defeat to Bangladesh earlier on September 5.

Head Coach Atsushi Nakamura’s tactical adjustments were evident, with a more aggressive game plan focused on attack.

The Coach made several changes to the starting lineup, retaining only four players from the previous match.  He fielded experienced players like Tenzin Dorji, Bikash Pradhan, Yeshi Dorji, Jigdrel Wangchuk, and Tsheltrim Namgyel. These players were quick and covered their positions well.

While Bangladesh employed a defensive and counter-attacking approach, they struggled to capitalise on their opportunities.

In contrast, Bhutan displayed marked improvements in ball possession, passing accuracy, and overall team coordination, reflecting significant progress since their last encounter.

In the first game, most of Bhutan’s passes did not cross beyond the center of the pitch.

The home advantage, including the altitude, played in Bhutan’s favor, contributing to their enhanced performance.

Including these two FIFA Friendly Games, Bhutan has now played 18 games against Bangladesh. The improved performance by Team Bhutan this time highlights the development of football in Bhutan.