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By Kinzang Lhamo Farmers in Metakha Gewog can now look forward to a future of reliable irrigation, thanks to the launch of the Kuenphenzhingchu Irrigation Project, a significant initiative funded by the Government of India through the GOI-PTA initiative. The Nu 35.15 million project features a modern mechanized irrigation system spanning 3.28 kilometers, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and improving …

…𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒌 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒅𝒛𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒈𝒔 By Sonam Choden The dairy sector in eastern Bhutan has undergone a notable transformation through strategic interventions under the Commercial Agriculture and Resilient Livelihoods Enhancement Programme (CARLEP). This government-led initiative, supported by various development partners, has strengthened dairy value chains across Dzongkhags including Mongar, Trashigang, Lhuentse, and Samdrup Jongkhar. …

…𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔 By Kezang ChodenDespite the Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA) being upgraded to the Royal Institute of Performing Arts (RIPA) and its ongoing efforts to safeguard Bhutan’s intangible cultural heritage, youth participation remains limited. RIPA has announced its upcoming training session three times through public notifications, but only a …

…𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝑳𝒉𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 By Sonam Choden Institutional support is playing a growing role in enabling youth-led agricultural ventures in rural areas. The case of Karma Wangdi, a young farmer from Lhuentse, shows how assistance from the Commercial Agriculture and Resilient Livelihoods Enhancement Programme (CARLEP) supported by the International Fund …

By Kezang Choden The Royal Bhutan Police (RBP), in collaboration with the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan (HRAB), conducted a sensitization and awareness session for hotel owners, managers, and staff from Thimphu, Paro, Wangduephodrang, and Chukha. The session aimed to address growing concerns related to crimes and drug-related issues within the hotel industry. The program focused on the challenges …

…𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒕𝒚-𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 By Kinzang Lhamo Paro International Airport, Bhutan’s only international gateway, is set for a major infrastructure expansion aimed at improving aviation safety and accommodating increasing air travel demand. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has announced a comprehensive plan that includes land acquisition, zoning regulation, runway extension, …

…𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 13𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆-𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏 By Kinzang LhamoA 35-kilometre road linking Merak Gewog in Trashigang Dzongkhag to Lauri Gewog under Jomotshangkha Dungkhag in Samdrup Jongkhar, promised under the 13th Five-Year Plan, has been postponed, with construction now expected to begin only in 2040. The delay, despite the road’s potential to …

…𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔, 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 By Leki Chungdon Trashigang is preparing to host the first-ever Bhutan Glory Chess Tournament on July 1, 2025, a unique event that brings together students, educators, conservationists, and local leaders to promote biodiversity awareness and cognitive development through the game of chess. Set in …

…𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒍𝒊𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒓 By Yeshi Dolma The government’s proposal to introduce a 10 percent tax on interest income from fixed deposits has drawn serious concern from economists, financial experts, and members of the Bhutanese diaspora. Many fear that the move could weaken the country’s savings culture, affect bank liquidity, discourage remittances, …

…𝒈𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 By Tashi Tshewang The Ministry of Finance has clarified that there will be no separate budget allocation specifically for monsoon-related restoration of farm roads, despite increasing concerns from local governments over the financial burden caused by such damages. This clarification …