National News

Among others the GoI will also support the construction of Sarpang Dzong for which a budget of Nu/Rs 275 has already been earmarked Compiled by Sonam ChokiThimphu Government of India this week provided a grant of Nu./Rs. 810.22 million towards key development projects in BhutanOn Friday, the Government of India has released an amount of Nu./Rs. 810.22 million to the …

By Chimi WangmoThimphu As the Office of the Attorney General published their annual report 2020, Attorney General Lungten Dubgyur stated that the year 2020 was out of the ordinary due to the Covid-19 pandemic.He said it created a scenario that is unprecedented and necessitated not just Bhutan, but the world, to adjust to a new normal. Service delivery transitioned from …

Bitumen left spilling over Thujidra stream. Who takes the blame? By Tashi NamgyalThimphu In the name of storage, thousands of barrels containing bitumen has been left rather unattended along the banks of Thujidra stream near the double turning in Motithang.A major tourist trail and a geographically, environmentally and aesthetically fragile area, the area (stockyard) where the toxic elements are piled …

The third thromde elections for Thimphu, Phuentsholing and Gelephu saw only one incumbent getting re-elected for the coveted post of Thrompon (or Mayor) By Phurpa Wangmo The curtains have fallen on the third Thromde elections for the three thromdes of Thimphu, Phuentsholing and Gelephu. While voters of Phuentsholing Thromde chose to re-elect their incumbent mayor, the other two municipalities of …

Starting Monday, April 1, the ban on single use plastic carry bags, doma wrappers and ice cream pouches comes into effect, reinforcing a ban that was once tried two decades ago. There is a voluntary movement against the use of plastics in particular and waste in general.Every now and then we see people post pictures of collecting waste. Cleaning campaigns …

With the hash tag challenges taking its form to make a difference in the society, #TrashTag challenge has been the new social trend and the talk of the day particularly, in Bhutan recently. The social media has been flooding with pictures of people cleaning trash in all kinds of places across the country. Meanwhile, 27 years old Bhutanese student from …

With the termination of contract of 74 gaydrungs (gewog clerk) on March 16, gaydrungs across the country are worried that the post will be removed making hundreds of them jobless. Sangay Choden who served as gaydrung for 12 years in Shenga-Bjimi gewog, Punakha, said that it was disheartening to terminate gaydrungs despite having served the people at the grassroots. “With …

Landowners in Sonamgatshel , Namkhaling and Jampeling in Gelephu are asking the thromde to refund the land tax they paid for a couple of years after they were included in the thromde. With a plan to extend Gelephu thromde, Sonamgatshel, Namkhaling and Jampeling were included in the thromde in 2013. The landowners were levied urban tax. However, with directives from …

The Guide Association of Bhutan (GAB) is mulling to file a case on “benefit of doubt” against “a person or two” who lodged an anonymous complaint to the Anti-Corruption Commission of Bhutan (ACC). The complaint letter requested ACC to investigate and intervene “for better accountability and transparency of the association”. Currently, GAB is finding out whether they can file the …