Monthly Archives: December, 0

The lone Computed Tomography, CT scan machine at the National Referral Hospital has been down for quite some time now. The hospital administration said the machine broke down on the 9th of last month. Almost one and a half months after the breakdown, it has yet to be fixed. Patients are being referred to hospitals in Gelephu and Samtse for the service. The X-ray tube of the CT scan machine has broken leading to the malfunction.

Areca nut growers in Sarpang are witnessing a drop in both demand and price for the areca palm fruit this season. The farmers say while the harvest this season is bountiful, the price drop came as a disappointment. Areca nut is one of the main cash crops for the residents of Sarpang. The district which is considered as one of the largest producers of areca nut in the country produces more than 5,000 metric tonnes of the nut annually.

Nine months after the Kuri-Gongri Bridge collapsed, killing a couple, a new modular bridge with a carrying capacity of 40 metric tonnes opened to traffic yesterday. The Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Chandra Bdr. Gurung inaugurated the new bridge. The bridge opens new hopes for businesses along the Gyalpozhing-Nganglam highway and brings relief to people for whom the bridge is a lifeline. However, it is still not known what caused the second collapse on the 27th of June, last year.

Bhutan received the second tranche of Nu 5bn from the Government of India for the Gyalsung Project on Tuesday. The Indian Ambassador to Bhutan, Sudhakar Dalela handed over the amount to the Foreign Affairs and External Trade Minister, D.N. Dhungyel. Under the MoU for the Gyalsung Infrastructure Project, the Government of India has disbursed a total of Nu 10bn so far. The first tranche of Nu 5bn was released in January of this year. The MoU outlines Nu 15bn in concessionary loans for the development of infrastructure for Gyalsung academies. This is in addition to India's plan assistance to Bhutan.

There is good news for football fans in Samdrup Jongkhar. The construction of the Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde football stadium is finally completed. Spectators can now enjoy matches comfortably with proper seating. Before, they had to brave the rain or stand to watch the matches. The Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde spent Nu 65 M to construct the stadium.

Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) is pleased to announce the list of the shortlisted candidates for  various posts and announces the date for the Viva-...

Bhutan's electric vehicle roadmap which intends to replace 70 per cent of vehicles with electric alternatives by 2035 is facing a significant challenge. The country, currently, grapples with a shortage of qualified technicians and repair facilities. As a result, electric vehicle owners in the country are facing difficulties finding competent repair services, with many forced to rely on manufacturer-operated service centres.

With no budget set aside for conducting local festivals such as Tshechus in villages, it is becoming challenging for the people and the local leaders to conduct them as in the past. Similarly, a sacred festival in Wangdue Phodrang’s Daga Gewog called the Uma Tshechu, dating back to the 17th century is facing the same fate. The festival is conducted through donations collected from locals but this practice is becoming unsustainable.

The Department of Surface Transport introduced a Performance-Based Management System (PBMS) to improve road maintenance. In Monggar, the regional office awards road cleaning contracts to team leaders who then carry out works such as filling potholes and clearing bushes and roadblocks. The system has ensured the effective execution of work as per the agreement.

Dissatisfied with the High Court’s judgment passed last week, 34 Neta EV model taxi drivers appealed to the Supreme Court against Kuenphen Motors today....