Something is not right

Something is not going right in the country today even as our attention is distracted by the war of words between our two giant neighbours in the northern boundary.
While many are engaged or closely following the developments that is sensationalized by the regional media, it is good to take stock of what is happening within the boundary. We will leave the northern boundary to the wise leadership to steer us out of the skirmishes.
At home, we have a senior pilot and crewmembers of the national airline and the only private airline grounded for abusing banned psychotropic substances. This had scared the citizens who now frequently travel by air. It has come as a shock for the tourism industry that depend on the airlines in bringing in tourists. There are more tests to be done; we hope there will be no more surprises.
Unemployment is a big problem in the country. The government, according to the national newspaper is holding on to the findings of the labour survey. There is something smelling fishy here. Those who are guarding the findings are saying that there are technical errors. Lets hope it is true.
If it is for any other reason like an increase in overall unemployment rate or a drastic jump in youth unemployment rate, it is not fair for the labour ministry or the government to protect a report that will not go well with the public. Labour survey findings are important in making important policies. The 12th Plan is just about readied and if the government is hiding an important finding, it will have repercussions on the five year Plans.
This comes at the heels of a good initiative gone wrong because of bad implementation. The headlines are dominated by education and job consultancy cheating Bhutanese. The government was forced to intervene in bringing some Bhutanese from the Middle East and Malaysia. The government initiated sending people overseas to ease the unemployment problem. In the rush, many people are affected rather than getting a career and a life started.
Election is around the corner and these issues will hamper the government’s image while other political parties are ready to pounce on the government’s shortcomings.
In the education sector, the education minister whose remark on Bhutanese cleaning toilets that was misinterpreted in the social media is getting a flak. To rub salt to the wound, we are hearing that more than a hundred teachers have quit the “noble profession” to go and study or “clean toilets”.
These are enough reasons to make the government worry and convince people that something is really not happening right. The government still has more than a year. It is not late to pause and look deeper into the issues.