On 16th March, 2012 I submitted the draft bill on Right to Information to the Honorable Chairperson of the National Council with the objective of fulfilling a constitutional provision articulated under article 7 which states right to information as a fundamental right of every Bhutanese citizen. While the constitution provides …

The Bhutanese managed to get hold of a classified study that the health ministry (MoH) conducted on 116 People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) above 18 years and above between April to May, 2011. Sources said that the results of the survey will be made public once the ministry receives funds. …

Although Bhutan lies on a high seismic zone there is yet to be a concrete policy on retrofitting. This has resulted in many existing buildings being unsafe for habitation. Jojo’s building in Thimphu was the only building which was retrofitted with the help of Bhutan standard bureau (BSB), then called …

Two introductions in the construction sector – the new point based system (NPBS) evaluation for contractors and modified contractor classification system aim to generate more employment opportunities in the industry while laying the field for fairer play. As of   February 1, there was 209% increase in employment in construction industry …

Undercutting is being practiced widely in the tourism industry with tour operators offering their clients cheaper rates than the fixed tourist tariff of USD 250 per head during peak season and USD 200 per head during off season. Tour operators are supposed to offer only 10% discount which means that …

Chhoden lower secondary school recently initiated a “green” move which saw the use of ballpoint pens replaced by fountain or ink pens. The man behind the move was a teacher, Rinchen Phuntsho, who on 24 March, 2012 made a presentation ‘zero plastic guilt-free writing’ on the history of ball pens …

One of the biggest criticisms of the Gross National Happiness philosophy is that, it is an elitist philosophy. This view will get more traction as the head of the government, the Prime Minister, is away on a GNH meet in New York, meeting top global leaders and intellectuals when the …

The four political parties on the fray are in for a major contest for capable and charismatic candidates in a backdrop where there is a dearth of such. However, the parties have not lost hope. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who lost badly in the 2008 elections feel that it needs …

Forest fire rages on with 200 battling it out Yesterday morning, a fire broke out at Mitsina under Bap gewog and spread to Talo gewog. Two hundred people comprising dzongkhag authorities, police, monks and villagers prevented the fire from spreading further though volunteers are still fighting the inferno. “The fire …

Forty-five gewogs have been surveyed for road feasibility under the gewog connectivity (GC) road project 2011 including two remote gewogs – Soe and Naro under Thimphu dzongkhag, and Merak and Sakteng under Trashigang dzongkhag. “The survey has already been completed,” said chief engineer under survey and design division Tshering Wangdi …