Monthly Archives: December, 0

Long ago before Bhutan opened its doors to the outside world most necessities were produced at home. This includes the normal slippers that everyone at least owns a pair, today. It used to be called Teptem and was made at home from hides and local materials. The practice of self-producing is long gone, every single pair is now imported. However, a man in Tsirang started manufacturing slippers on a small scale recently as a pilot project. The slippers are already for sale in a few shops in Damphu and gewogs in the district.

A former board director of the National CSI Development Bank and a contractor were sentenced to three and half years each in prison for bribery. The Thimphu District Court passed the judgment on Monday. Former board director Tshewang Tashi and contractor Samten were convicted of bribery surrounding the Samrang Poultry Farm project in Samdrup Jongkhar. Tshewang Tashi who served as the agriculture ministry's planning officer accepted Nu 1 M from Samten as a bribe in 2016.

Following its formal registration as the fifth political party earlier this week, the Druk Thuendrel Tshogpa declared its first three candidates in Thimphu this morning. The new candidates will represent constituencies in Thimphu, Paro and Punakha.

Not all the milk processing units in the country are doing a lucrative business. In Lhuentse, the district’s two milk processing units are struggling to sell dairy products, especially during summer. These days, the milk processing units in Minjey and Maenbi Gewogs have many unsold stocks due to increased milk production during summer.

A group of farmers are reaping the benefits of a mega greenhouse project in Pema Gatshel. The farmers set up the mega greenhouse which is the first of its kind in the district early this year to grow chilli. Encouraged by the bountiful harvest, they are now motivated to cultivate chilli throughout the year.

Call it a stampede or a cattle drive, several areas of the capital turn into a wild west sometimes. The scene gets troublesome for the residents and motorists as there are no cowboys to herd the stray cattle. And the issue is rampant despite the Thromde office raising the penalty by a thousand ngultrum for the owners in August last year.

Residents of Gelephu welcomed the first-ever ice cream plant in the district, recently. The plant not only produces fresh ice cream to beat the heat but also serves as a market for the surplus milk of the livestock rearing farmers group in the gewog.

It was Covid then, and this time, it’s the strict regulations. More than 70 entertainment businesses in Thimphu including karaoke, nightclubs and live music bars have been closed down by the Thromde from today. The business owners say they have been told it’s for failing to meet certain standards.

Altering the district court's judgment, the high court acquitted two election officials of failing to declare a conflict of interest and not following the election officer’s code of conduct charges. The officials representing the Election Commission of Bhutan were convicted by the Wangdue Phodrang District Court in July of these charges during the last local government elections. The High Court passed the judgment on the 17th of this month. 

An inclusive development planning programme is a must to ensure that everyone in the community reaps its benefit. To achieve this, the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy (BCMD) trained local leaders of Thimphu and Paro to frame development plans and programmes through their people’s participation recently.