National News

…𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑫𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑾𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝑭𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 By Yeshey Lhadon & Lalit GurungThe inaugural Private Sector Conference in Bhutan has shed light on rising discontent within the business community regarding the implementation of the Economic Stimulus Program (ESP). Aimed at revitalizing the economy, the ESP has been criticized for its bureaucratic hurdles, leaving many private sector members frustrated and financially …

…𝗔 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗶𝗹 By Lhendup WangmoThe residents of Jhalikhar, Bumthang, are grappling with a severe water shortage that has persisted for weeks, creating significant challenges for households and businesses alike. The scarcity has severely impacted hoteliers and restaurant owners, forcing some to temporarily close their doors. For many locals, the daily …

…𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏’𝒔 𝑭𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 By Lalit Gurung The aggregation program launched by the Farm Machinery Corporation Limited (FMCL) targets 1,735 metric tonnes of essential crops which includes 1,000 metric tonnes of maize, 700 metric tonnes of paddy, 30 metric tonnes of wheat, and 5 metric tonnes of quinoa. This initiative is playing a pivotal role in enhancing food security and …

…𝑭𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝑺𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑸𝒖𝒊𝒏𝒐𝒂 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑵𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒌𝒉𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒉𝒂 By Kezang Choden Geling Gewog’s farmers, who have cultivated and harvested quinoa on a trial basis. They expressed optimism about its potential to enhance local food production. The initiative involved 281 farmers who collectively cultivated over 70 acres of farmland in Chukha Dzongkhag. These efforts aim to demonstrate quinoa’s …

…𝑭𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒑 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒔 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝑺𝒐𝒂𝒓 By Lhendup WangmoCardamom cultivation in Samkhar Gewog under Trashigang Dzongkhag has become a major income generator for the local community. Villagers, who once relied on traditional farming practices, are now benefiting from the lucrative cardamom market. This spice, known for its high value, has become a vital source of livelihood, with many households …

…𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚-𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏 By Tshering Yangden Haa Dzongkhag, in collaboration with Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Bhutan, conducted 15-days Souvenir Development Training Program aimed at empowering local communities and fostering economic growth within the region. The program equipped participants with essential skills to create unique, locally made souvenirs to promote Haa’s cultural heritage …

By Lalit Gurung Gender-based violence within Bhutan’s Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) community is a critical issue that has often been overlooked. According to Pride Bhutan, an LGBTQ+ organization, among the 353 registered members, 11 percent reported experiencing bullying, 38 percent faced stigma, 36 percent encountered discrimination, and 8 percent had been subjected to some form of violence. …

By Bikash Mishra Rinzin Norbu, a 23-year-old para-athlete, is redefining the limits of possibility as a national table tennis player and an advocate for inclusion and resilience in Bhutan. With pride, he identifies as both a sportsperson under the Bhutan Table Tennis Federation and a recent graduate of Royal Thimphu College, where he completed his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce in …

By Tshering Yangden A three-day oyster mushroom cultivation training was recently held in Gomdar Gewog, Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag. Organized by the Barzor Vegetable Group of Bazor Village in collaboration with Samsara Farming, the training aimed to equip local farmers with the skills needed to venture into sustainable farming practices. Despite financial constraints, the Barzor Vegetable Group independently organized and funded the …

…𝑩𝒖𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅-𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆 By Bikash MishraThe lifting of the vehicle import moratorium about four months ago by the government has sent ripples through the automobile market, with significant economic implications for both consumers and industry stakeholders. The resumption of vehicle imports has sparked renewed interest among buyers, but also led …