Pasakha bridge opened to traffic yesterday by the prime minister, Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley

Pasakha industries should not face problems in the rainy season with an all weather bridge over the Padazekhachu, on the Pasakha-Manitar road, opened to traffic yesterday by the prime minister, Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley.

The 100 m long and nine metre wide bridge has a load capacity of 70 metric tonnes (MT) and cost Nu 63.58M to build. Construction began last year.

“Without a permanent bridge, industries faced a lot of difficulties during monsoon,” said the works and human settlement minister, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba at the inauguration. “It isn’t the biggest but nonetheless a very important one.”

About 140 heavy vehicles ply to and from the Pasakha industrial estate everyday.

Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba also thanked project DANTAK and the Indian government for their continued support.

DANTAK officials said that the new bridge would provide all weather connectivity for all kinds of heavy vehicles to Pasakha industrial area.

The inaugural ceremony was also attended by the Indian ambassador, Pavan K Varma, the director general of border roads, Lt Gen MC Badhani and the chief engineer of Project DANTAK, Brigadier US Dadu.

According to DANTAK officials, the Pasakha-Manitar road, envisaged as a bypass to the slide prone area of Ramitey, Sorchhen and Jumja on the Asian highway of Phuentsholing-Thimphu road, was handed over to the roads department in February 2008, except for two bridges at 0.11 km and 2.85 km from Pasakha industrial estate.

“Pasakha, being a major industrial estate in Bhutan located across the Padazekhachu, the need for a permanent bridge for swift transportation of all raw materials and machineries was felt since years ago,” states a report on the bridge from DANTAK.

Source: Kuenselonline

News: Bhutan PM to visit India

Prime Minister Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley

Prime Minister Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley will be visiting India to felicitate the newly elected government on June 30. In Delhi, Lyonchhoen will call on the Indian President Pratibha D Patil, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and senior government officials.

The prime minister will also meet the Indian National Congress party president Sonia Gandhi and the opposition leader L K Advani.

Foreign secretary Daw Penjo, economic affairs secretary Dasho Sonam Tshering and other senior government officials will be accompanying the prime minister. The delegation will be in India until July 3.

Source: Kuenselonline

News: Bhutan Prime Minister presented the first annual report on the state of the nation

Bhutan's Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley

At the opening today, the Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley also presented the first annual report on the state of the nation since the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa government came into power last year.

The two hour thirty minute report was broken into three parts. These are historic events, progress in the pursuit of Gross National Happiness and the state of our emerging democracy.

On the pursuit of GNH, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley said Bhutan's economy is estimated to have grown by eight percent in the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

After a nationwide survey found that only about 69 percent of the rural water supply schemes are still functioning, the government instructed the respective dzongkhags to rehabilitate and augment the water supply schemes.

To improve health care services, the government recruited 22 specialists from Myanmar and employed 18 retired doctors. It trained and posted about hundred nursing assistants in various hospitals. The government has also launched an accelerated training programme which is expected to produce about 1,400 nurses by 2013 against the projected requirement of 1,534.

In education, over Nu. nine billion have been allocated in the current plan.

The Prime Minister informed the house that the royal government has set an ambitious target of increasing adult literacy rate to 70 percent by 2013.

In agriculture, close to 290 kilometre of farm roads and power tiller tracks were constructed last year. He said the royal government intends to promote Bhutan as a purely organic brand by gradually phasing out the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The agriculture ministry has come out with a comprehensive national human wildlife conflict management strategy. To develop small and cottage industries, a micro, small and medium enterprise project is being implemented.

During the year, the government approved 51 industrial projects including five FDI projects.

To provide affordable housing, the National Housing Development Corporation has completed 306 units of housing in seven priority dzongkhags. It has provided more than 1,000 new residential units in urban centers so far.

Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley said the government is looking at constructing adequate affordable housing for the large number of citizens who are compelled to live across the border in Jaigaon.

He said land will be provided by the government and construction will be carried out by private sector and the rent will be fixed by the government.

Lyonchhen informed the house that over 4,500 job seekers registered with the ministry of labour and human resources during the year. Of the total over 1,300 have been employed and around 2,000 were referred to various companies in corporate and private sectors.

On public service delivery, Lyonchhen said the Royal Civil Service Commission has established a unit called Improving Public Service Delivery System to reduce administrative burden. He said the government is looking at ways to use information and communication technologies for successful delivery of services.

Lyonchhen said the Grievance Cell established under the cabinet secretariat received about 800 cases as of May this year. Of that, about 450 have been dealt with while the rest are still under process.

The procedure for processing security clearance certificate has been made user friendly and simplified in order to improve service delivery. Speaking on media and its role- Lyonchhen said the government has been encouraging and supporting the development of a free and responsible media. He said each private newspaper and private radio have been granted a subsidy of Nu. two million.

Lyonchhen also spoke on the growing number of social ills in the country over the years. He said alcoholism, prostitution and gambling have increased. He said the government is committed to preventing and reducing the social ills.

The Royal Bhutan Police arrested 418 people in drug related offences and 62 drug traffickers during the year. This was pointed out by the Prime Minister in his government report to the parliament sessions today.

2008 saw only 440 cases of assault and battery compared to 449 cases in 2007. The fall, Lyonchhen said is due to strong advocacy and legal protection given by related NGOs and the government.

Eight cases of prostitution were also reported last year. Many he said may have remained unreported. Lyonchhen said 18 cases of homicide were also reported compared to 14 the previous year. The number of cases related to vandalism and desecration dropped from 194 in 2007 to 169 last year. Suicide cases rose from 50 in 2007 to 53 last year.

Lyonchhen also said divorce and gambling are also increasing.

He said the government is deeply alarmed and said it intends to take concerted measures to curb them.

The Prime Minister’s report is available at www.cabinet.gov.bt.

Source: BBS