Bhutan Daily News 27-10-23

His Majesty The King graced the celebration of the 35th Anniversary of Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) in Bhutan.

The JICA Volunteer programme was formally initiated in Bhutan in 1987, with the signing of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer Dispatch Agreement between the governments of Japan and Bhutan. The first volunteers were sent to the Agricultural Machinery Centre in Paro in July 1988.

Japan-Bhutan relations, however, stretch back to atleast 1964, when the first Japanese national came to work in Bhutan. In recognition of his services to Bhutan, Dasho Keiji Nishioka was conferred the red scarf by His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo in 1980.

The close relations between Japan and Bhutan have been enriched by the over 641 Japanese nationals who lived and worked across Bhutan through the JOCV programme. The volunteers have worked to contribute to Bhutan’s development efforts in various sectors, including education, health, ICT, infrastructure, and sports.

The celebration was attended by the Prime Minister, the Ambassador of Japan to Bhutan, and other officials and dignitaries.

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲-𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱

All free-roaming dogs in the country have been sterilised through the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme. This is according to the Department of Livestock. To mark the milestone, Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering awarded the certificate of recognition to six western districts, Thimphu Thromde, and programme implementing partners today in Thimphu. Similarly, other districts and Thromdes will also be awarded the certificate on Monday.

𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

To encourage doctors to take specialisation courses at the Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan, the government has relaxed the mandatory service bond temporarily. The number of years to serve after studies has been halved. Until now, doctors have had to serve double the number of years of study period. The health minister, during the Meet The Press session earlier today, said that this is a part of policy strategies to encourage doctors to take such courses. She said the government initiated this measure along with other interventions earlier this year after only six doctors applied for more than 20 slots.

𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗟𝗧𝗧

The pay revision for the civil servants came with confusion for the civil servants who are on in-country Long Term Training. They said they should be entitled to a pay raise like any other civil servant but they have yet to get it. The Prime Minister during the Meet The Press session today said, the cabinet will decide on whether to give the same revision for the civil servants on in-country Long Term Training during the final cabinet meeting of the current government, next week.

𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮-𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀

In the ongoing Asian Para Games at Hangzhou in China, para-athlete Chimi Dema finished 8th out of 9 para-athletes in the Women's Shot Put-F41 Final today. She scored an average of 5.71 points in the six-round match. With this, all four athletes competing in the Asian Para Games have ended their run in the event.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟲 𝗠𝗪 𝗗𝗿𝘂𝗸 𝗕𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂 𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀

After years of anticipation, construction of the Druk Bindu Hydropower Project is now officially underway. The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a crucial 4.5-kilometre access road to the Druk Bindu 1 and 2 powerhouses was held in Tendruk today. The project will be completed in two stages, Druk Bindu 1 and 2, with a combined installed capacity of 26 MW.

𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗽𝗵𝘂 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

The Sarpang district administration has started acquiring land for extension of the Gelephu Domestic Airport. The office has already allotted land replacement for 142 landowners whose land falls under the extension project. For the remaining 17 landowners, a consultation meeting was held yesterday but only two individuals turned up.

𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀

Farmers in the southern dzongkhags could expect a better market for their agriculture produce after producers and buyers from Sarpang, and Dagana signed an agreement in Sarpang recently.

𝗗𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗸𝗵𝗮 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁

VAST Bhutan organised a week-long workshop titled ‘Dharma Art Calligraphy’ which also hosted the Master Calligrapher Jamyang Dorjee Chakrishar, a revered artist from India.

𝗪𝗮𝗺𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹

Wamrong drungkhag now has its first sanitary landfill which is expected to last more than 15 years. The landfill, built earlier this year at a cost of Nu 2.6 million, occupies over an acre and is located at about 12km from the main town towards Samdrupjongkhar. Trucks dump about 20 metric tonnes of waste in a month.