By Tashi Namgyal Thimphu The finance ministry transferred Nu 19 million (M) from the General Reserve (GR) Fund of the Local Government Election budget to fund capital works under various gewogs in Paro Dzongkhag during the last financial year, according to the Annual Audit Report 2020-2021. Dogar, Naja and Shaba gewogs which fall under the finance minister’s constituency got Nu …

The police also undertake investigatory as well as prosecutory role, potentially a conflicting role By Tashi Namgyal In what could be one of the milestone reforms to be made to the Royal Bhutan Police (Amendment) Bill 2021 during this winter session, the Social and Cultural Committee of the National Assembly has proposed doing away with the police’s role as a …

A jewel in the crown, His Majesty the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck turns 66 years-old this November 11.  Compiled by Tashi Namgyal Thimphu “The measure of a King’s worth is gauged by his actions as a monarch and the effects of his reign on the history of his nation. The world, in its many centuries of history, has seen …

By Phurpa Wangmo His Majesty The King arrived in Thimphu on October 21 after a Royal Tour of the South, and entered quarantine. During the Royal tour of the South, which also coincided with the Hindu festival of Dassai, His Majesty visited Gelephu, Samtse, Lhamoyzhingkha and Phuentsholing, while also stopping at Tencholing and Tsirang to meet De-suups and Dzongkhag civil …

The recent catastrophe lashed by the retreating monsoons has become a cause of concern as the country battles changing weather patterns and freak weather reports By Rinchen Dorji The recent trail of destruction left by the sudden and untimely downpour has left the country reeling as we scramble for answers to fight natural calamities that is becoming a regular phenomenon …

However, some farmers have refused help stating His Majesty is already burdened by the pandemic By Phurpa Wangmo In the aftermath of the rains that has put a huge dent on the year’s paddy yields, Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering, upon Royal command, met with the affected farmers of Paro, Punakha and Wangdiphodrang this week. Lyonchhen conveyed that His Majesty …

The Weekly Editorial The recent trail of destruction wreaked by the untimely rains has left a flood of afterthoughts, as thousands of farmers across the country were caught off-guard by this freak natural calamity. Reports of hundreds of acres of paddy fields being inundated across the country reveals the vulnerability of our farmers to such freak weather conditions which, according …

By Phurpa Wangmo Despite flak and criticisms from the general public, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA) has stated the moratorium on ban of bar licenses will be lifted once a regulation to reduce alcohol consumption is ready. The Economic Affairs Minister, Loknath Sharma, shared this during his recent visit to Sarpang dzongkhag. Members of the business community in the …

In Bhutan, recent freak weather phenomenon and varying degrees of change in the climatic-pattern has become a cause for anxiety By Rinchen Dorji Rising temperatures as a result of climate change are melting Bhutan’s immense collection of glaciers in its mountainous north, threatening significant human and economic devastation. Freak weather patterns, like the recent late spate of monsoons, has affected …

The country has listed 22 white-belied herons across the country By Sonam Choki The White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis Hume) is a large heron species of the family Ardeidae, order Pelecaniformes, found in freshwater ecosystems of the Himalayas. It is categorized as critically endangered under the IUCN Red List of threatened species and protected under the Schedule I of Forests and …