Bhutan Daily News 13-06-23

𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

In the National Assembly, today, the Prime Minister said that to retain civil servants, the government is looking into the possibility of providing a retirement home package to retired civil servants, reviewing the national pension fund policies, and providing more employment opportunities in the teaching and health sectors. The prime minister was responding to a question from the Monggar MP, Karma Lhamo, about the government’s plans to address civil servant attrition.

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𝗣𝗠 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀’ 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗖𝗦𝗖’𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲

Prime Minister, Dr Lotay Tshering, addressed the issue of regularising consolidated contract employees during the Question Hour in the National Assembly session today. While the final decision lies with the Royal Civil Service Commission, the Prime Minister supported the RCSC’s decision to allow those willing to appear in the Bhutan Civil Service Examination multiple times including contract employees, which aids in their regularisation process.

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𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘁𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗱𝗲: 𝗠𝗼𝗜𝗧 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿

The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Dorji Tshering, indicated that Monggar and Samtse are likely to be established as the next two thromdes based on their ongoing developmental activities and land areas. The minister said this in response to a question from the Chhumig-Ura Member of Parliament, Karma Wangchuk, regarding the government’s plan to establish thromdes before their term ends.

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𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁: 𝗣𝗠

The prime minister says that the government cannot extend the postal ballot facility during elections to people other than the ones prescribed in the Election Act. The prime minister was responding to the Jomotsangkha-Martshala MP, Norbu Wangzom, in the question hour session today about the need for the postal ballot and facilitation booths. According to the Jomotsangkha-Martshala MP, people employed in the private sector and those living overseas were dissatisfied since they were not able to participate in the recent National Council Elections.

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𝗡𝗔 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗕𝗜𝗠𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗖 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿

The National Assembly unanimously adopted The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, BIMSTEC, Charter. All 44 members present in the house voted in favour of the Charter. The Foreign Affairs and External Affairs Minister, Dr Tandi Dorji, said that with the ratification of the Charter, efficient economic cooperation among the member states can be achieved. The agreement will now be forwarded to the National Council for deliberation.

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𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱

With the National Assembly elections not far away, herders of Merak and Sakteng Gewogs in Trashigang are finding different ways to stay informed about political candidates to help exercise their democratic rights. Despite their nomadic lifestyle and geographical and connectivity challenges, most of them rely on social media platforms and BBS FM radio.

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The construction of a new bailey bridge over Gongrichhu along the Nganglam-Gyalpozhing highway was completed today.

It will be opened to traffic this evening. The new bailey bridge has a load capacity of 35 metric tons. The old bridge collapsed last month due to overloading and speeding of a dumper truck ferrying soil.

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His Holiness the Je Khenpo will preside over a three-day prayer ceremony at the Tendrelthang in Trashichhoedzong starting Saturday to pacify the risk of natural disasters.

The prayer ceremony will be conducted by the monks of the Central Monastic Body. Similarly, His Holiness will also preside over a Goenpo Tshe-pami ritual, which includes Tshe-khu Gaypa and Yangku prayers, for the country’s economic prosperity from 20th to 22nd of June at the Tendrelthang in Thimphu.

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𝐌𝐨𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐚𝐦 𝐂𝐡𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐦𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐙𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠

Yonten Lopen of the Central Monastic Body is presiding over the 11th annual Zhemgang Meonlam Chhenmo. The prayer ceremony began today. Hundreds of devotees from in and around the district are attending the three-day prayer ceremony.

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𝗡𝗔 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰-𝗶𝗻-𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗵

The National Assembly unanimously adopted the agreement on the movement of traffic-in-transit between the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Royal Government of Bhutan today. Among the 44 members present during the session, all were in favour of the agreement. Although a few members expressed their concerns regarding the challenges after its implementation, the agreement remained mostly unchanged. The agreement will now be forwarded to the National Council for deliberation.