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2007, March 26: The delimitation of the National Assembly constituencies has been finalized. There will be 47 constituencies as provided in the draft delimitation plan. The national assembly will therefore have 47 members. This was announced at the press conference earlier today. The finalized map of the National Assembly constituencies was signed by the members of the delimitation commission.

According to a news release from the Election Commission, nine Dzongkhags endorsed the draft delimitation plan for their Dzongkhags. Another nine requested for additional seats.

The news release says the requests for additional seats could not be accepted by the delimitation commission. It says the constituencies were allocated in line with the provisions of the electoral laws and eligible voter population of the Dzongkhags. However, most of the views submitted by the people have been incorporated.

The Chief Election Commissioner, Dasho Kuenzang Wangdi said as part of the delimitation exercise the commission have also carried out the identification of the polling stations. He said there will be 884 polling stations.

Trashigang will have the maximum number of polling stations. It will have 88 polling stations. Gasa with 16 will have the minimum number of polling stations. Chukha has been allocated 70, Haa 26, Monggar 78 and Pemagatshel 53.

Thimphu, Paro and Punakha have been allocated 30 polling stations each while Trongsa will have 21 polling stations. Wangdiphodrang will have 46 and Tsirang will have a total of 38 polling stations.

Sarpang, Lhuntse and Trashiyangtse have been allocated 39 polling stations each. Samdrupjongkhar will have 65, and Zhemgang will have 38. Samtse has been allocated 74 while Bumthang has been allocated 19 and Dagana 45.

2007, March 26: The election commission also announced the dates of the nationwide mock elections. The primary round of the mock election will be held on April 21 and the general elections will be held on May 28.

The Chief Election Commissioner, Dasho Kuenzang Wangdi, said mock election would be conducted just like the real election in 2008. “Only difference being that we will not have the real political parties but to the extent possible we will try to satisfy the requirement through means that are almost near real election.”

The mock election will begin at nine in the morning and continue till five in the evening. The Election Commission says the mock election will be conducted in all the constituencies as per the finalized delimitation order.

Dasho Kuenzang Wangdi said four dummy political parties would be formed to contest the primary round of the mock election. The parties will be called Druk Blue Party, Druk Green Party, Druk Red Party and the Druk Yellow Party. “High school students will act as the candidates contesting the election.”

The appointment letter of the returning officers and the Dzongdas as the Chief Election Coordinators in their respective Dzongkhags was also released during the press conference today.

The Chief Election Commissioner said; “we have tried to make sure that the personal interest or conflict of interest is minimized to the extent possible through mechanism of not appointing people from a particular place to a particular area so that the personal interest element is minimized.”

Dasho Kuenzang Wangdi said the counting and the polling would be done on the same day. He added that doing on the same has advantage in terms of administration and also in terms of the secrecy of the election processes, particularly votes. “With more time gap there is a danger. We are susceptible to human intervention of undesirable nature. therefore we tried to cut short the time process as much as possible so that there is no room for undesirable electoral processes taking place particularly fraud.”

2007, March 26: Shortage of drinking water is one of the biggest problems faced by the residents of Damphu town in Tsirang. The drinking water shortage is so acute, on occasions residents were involved in physical fights over the sharing of the scanty water resources.

The residents get only two hours of water supply in a day, one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon. They say this is not enough. The shortage has affected the housewives the most. They said the water they manage to collect in two hours is not even enough to wash their children’s clothes.

The richer landlords who own buildings in the town have been able to escape the problem by purchasing huge water tanks. Tenants living in houses whose owners cannot afford to buy water reservoirs get by using buckets and jerry cans. Residents are so desperate for water they even store the precious resources in bottles.

Hoteliers and restaurant owner have also been hit hard. “As a hotel we need lot of water for washing dishes, cleaning the rooms, and so on,” said Aum Gyem, a hotel owner. She added that water shortage is also affecting her business. “People expect the rooms, especially the bathroom and toilet, to be clean. When we are not able to deliver that they turn away.”

Dorji Khandu, the Dzongkhag Municipal Project Engineer said the water source which provides water to the Damphu town was old. “The present water source was constructed in 1970s.”

Dorji Khandu said the water problem in Damphu town would be resolved to some extent if the water metering system is introduced. He said for now those who have bigger tanks use most of the water and those who manage with buckets and jerry cans are deprived of water.
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2007, March 26: Cases of tuberculosis across the world appear to be leveling off according to the World Health Organization. However, the emergence of drug-resistant TB strains means cases could rise in the future. TB kills around 1.6 million people each year. In Bhutan hospital records also show a steady drop in the number of people suffering from TB but the number of drug resistant strain is increasing. This, doctors say is worrying.

According to the tuberculosis treatment unit of the National Referral Hospital, the number of reported TB cases has decreased over the years. Health officials, however, say TB still is still a major public health problem.

In 2006, about one thousand people were infected with TB. The TB treatment unit recorded 1255 cases in 2001, 1037 in 2002 and 1056 in 2003. The number dropped to 1002 in 2004 and 1018 in 2005. In 2006, the number fell to 927 cases.

Directly Observed Treatment Short Course known in short as DOTS is the most effective treatment for TB. Patients are given a course of medication for six to eight months. Although it is the most effective treatment for TB due to the long duration of treatment, TB patients often fail to complete the full course of medication. This results in relapse and causes drug resistant strain of TB, which is more difficult and expensive to treat.

The TB treatment unit of the national referral hospital recorded 13 cases of Multi Drug Resistant cases in 2001, five cases in 2002 and nine in 2003. The number sharply increased to 20 in 2004 and dropped to six in 2005. But in 2006 multi drug resistant TB cases increased to 12.

In his message on the world TB day, the health minister, Lyonpo Dr. Jigme Singye, said Bhutan was doing well in detecting and treating cases of TB. However, he said more needed to be done to eradicate TB.

To intensify the fight against TB, committees have been formed in the Gewogs. The committee members promote awareness on TB and directly observed treatment short course in the villages. The world TB day this year was observed on the theme -TB anywhere is TB everywhere. The day called on people anywhere and everywhere to help eliminate TB.

2007, March 25: Zhongar Dzong, located opposite Lingmithang on the Mongar-Bumthang highway remained in ruins for more than a century. Now, works are underway to renovate the Dzong. It started from 1st March and is expected to complete by next year.

Currently, the renovation of the Zhongar Dzong is focused on its Ta Dzong. Over 70 laborers and 30 masons are engaged in the renovation works.

The dzongkhag engineer told our reporter that the 40 meter tall Ta Dzong would be repaired with mud and stone wall. Tshering Nidup said 50 percent of the Ta Dzong’s wall had collapsed and needed renovation. He added the collapsed section would be rebuilt and roofed, maintaining the Dzong’s original architectural design.

Following the Ta Dzong, the main Dzong’s Utse will also get a major face lift. According to our reporter Tenzin Namgyel, the Utse of the Zhongar Dzong has six floors and once it is completed, it will house the Neykhang and a folk museum.

Mongar Dzongda Lhab Dorji said the renovation of the Zhonghar Dzong besides the preservation of the heritage will also have positive impact on rural economy of the region mainly through ecotourism.

According to our reporter, other restoration works will include clearing the vegetation and debris in the area and construction of pathways.

2007, March 25: Bhutan joined the international community to mark the world TB day yesterday. Here in the capital the celebration was held at the Institute of Language and Cultural studies in Semthokha. The theme this year was ‘TB anywhere is TB everywhere’.

Reading out a message from the health minister Dr. Ngwang Tenzin said the theme for the world TB day is a call to make sure that highest quality TB services reach all who suffer from the disease. “One TB patient can infect several others if left untreated. It is also a message conveying shared responsibility and urging unified action towards a world free of Tuberculosis.”

Efforts to avoid the threats of MDR or Multi Drug Resistant TB reinforcing commitment, increasing resource allocation, scaling up and sustaining interventions were pointed by the ministry as some of the measures to eliminate TB from the country.

The students questioned the ministry about the TB awareness programs carried out to reach the remote areas and measures taken up to educate the people.

The program officer of the Ministry of Health told BBS that the TB program was initiated in 1976. From 2001 to 2006 the number of cases detected has decreased considerably from 1255 cases to 927.

Kinzang Namgay said some of the strategies such as expansion of DOTS in communities and strengthening diagnostic and follow up system have played important roles to decrease the number of TB patients. “DOTS is a directly observed treatment where the patient is given medication under the supervision of a kin or the health worker to let him continue the long process of medication,” he added.

The day also saw student’s participation in painting competition on the theme with enactment of a skit and a song for the day.

2007, March 24: The former managing director of the Army Welfare Project, retired Major Pem Tshering, is now in police custody. He surrendered himself to the Royal Bhutan Police in Thimphu after the Royal Advisory Council and the High Court issued an arrest warrant yesterday, March 23.

After extensive deliberations lasting more than a week, the joint decision of the Royal Advisory Counci and the High Court has sentenced retired Major Pem Tshering to nine years imprisonment and fined a sum of Nu. 96.5 million. Major Pem Tshering was not present in the court when the sentence was passed. He refused to attend the court on medical grounds.

A spokesperson from the High Court said an arrest warrant was issued to implement the judgment. He said the excuse of not attending the court on medical grounds was not admitted by the joint sitting of the Royal Advisory Council and the High court.

The spokesperson said retired Major Pem Tshering will have to deposit the fine within six months from the day the judgment was passed. If he fails, his property and the property of his legal heirs worth the liabilities fixed by the court will be seized.

Retired Major Pem Tshering was found guilty of charges ranging from misuse of project funds to forgery and criminal activities in connection with the sale of AWP products.

2007, March 23: In 2000, the royal government implemented a rule to clamp down on the misuse of government pool vehicles. The rule was strictly enforced and misuse of pool vehicles became a thing of the past. But only for a year or two. Seven years down the line, the misuse of pool vehicles has once again reemerged.

The scale of the misuse may have decreased but it does exist. Anybody who has any doubt about this need only visit the weekend vegetable market or the schools in the morning. The sight of government officials or their drivers coming in pool vehicles to reach their children to school in the morning are not uncommon.

“They keep their private cars at home and uses pool vehicle to reach their children,” said one passerby. Another said; “If they use their own car then it would look good. But, when we see pool vehicle picking up or dropping off their children, it doesn’t look good.”

The scene is same at the weekend vegetable market. Government officials in government vehicles come to do shopping at the weekend vegetable market.

The traffic police in Thimphu say they are doing what they can to enforce the rule. They told BBS that they have forwarded three cases of misuse of office pool vehicles to the Royal Audit Authority so far this year.

The officiating officer in charge of traffic police, Namgyel says at least three policemen are assigned only to check the misuse of government vehicles. Cases related to misuse of pool vehicles are forwarded to the Audit Authority. A copy of the police report is also sent to the Royal Civil Service Commission, the cabinet secretariat and the concerned department.

Traffic police know whether the vehicle is being misused by checking what is known as the vehicle movement order. The duration, for which the vehicle is to be used, purpose, destination etc will have to be specified in the movement order. But some officials manipulate the movement order to suit their own convenience. For instance, for the duration for which the vehicle is to be used, they write 24 hours. In such cases, the traffic police say they are helpless.

Recently, officials from the ministry of finance, police and audit met to discuss the misuse of government pool vehicles. The meting was chaired by the cabinet secretary. The meeting decided that the ministry of finance in consultation with the ministries would give the details of designed parking areas, name of transport officers with contact number and will be given to traffic police.

Proper monitoring, many believe will help reduce misuse of government pool vehicles but there are others who believe that it will not be enough. Because in the case of the misuse of office pool vehicles, it is the very people who are responsible for monitoring, senior government officials, who are misusing the office pool vehicles.

SAARC car rally reaches Thimphu

2007, March 19: The first SAARC car rally arrived in Thimphu late this afternoon. The rally was escorted in traditional chipdrel procession to the clock tower square where they were received by the Home and Cultural Affairs Minister Lyonpo Jigme Thinley. Students lined the streets of the capital town waving flags as the SAARC car rally arrived in the capital Thimphu. Thousands of local people also lined up the street to greet the rally.

This is the first such rally in the region. The car rally was organized to connect people and strengthen ties.

Welcoming the rally, Lyonpo Jigme Thinley said the expedition had brought together states, business houses and private individuals to inspire the nations of South Asia. He said it would add to the growing sense of a shared SAARC identity.

The Labor and Human Resources minister, Lyonpo Ugyen Tshering, the Chief Operations Officer of the Royal Bhutan Army Major General Batoo Tshering, Royal Advisory Councilors, and senior government officials, the Ambassadors of Bangladesh and India and representatives of international organizations were also present to receive the rally.

The month long rally began from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh on 15th March. After four days of arduous journey the rally entered Bhutan via Phuentsholing.

As the rally entered the border town, which is also the gateway to Bhutan, hundreds of students lined along the road to give them a hearty welcome. In Phuentsholing, the rally was flagged off by the Chukha Dzongda.

More than hundred people from the SAARC member countries are taking part in the rally. Bhutan is represented by eight participants including four media personnel. The rally will cover more than 8000 kilometers and pass through all the SAARC member countries.

Speaking to BBS, the participants said the expedition would help promote tourism, facilitate trade and commerce, enhance the historical and cultural understanding and help bring the people of this rich and diverse region together.

From Thimphu the rally will proceed to Tsirang and onto Gelephu where they will halt for the night. They will then continue towards Nepal and Pakistan.

The rally is scheduled to arrive in the Indian capital of New Delhi on 1st April on the eve of the 14th SAARC Summit. From there, it will proceed to Sri Lanka and conclude in the Maldives on 15th April.

2007, March 19: As the deadline for the registration of political party nears, the Election Commission is concerned that there may not be a reasonable number of credible political parties participating in the electoral process. The commission has issued two notifications so that the formation of political party begins in earnest. The Chief Election Commissioner, Dasho Kuenzang Wangdi, said no notable activities were taking place towards the formation of political parties.

The two notifications are the notification for the formation of political parties and the notification for prescribing ceilings on registration fees, membership fees and voluntary contributions.

Dasho Kunzang Wangdi said one of the reasons for people not coming forward to form parties could be due to a misconception. The formal registration of political parties will take place in July. “People therefore may have misunderstood that the preparations to form political parties can take only after July. It is not so. People can start forming political parties now,” he said at the press conference on Monday.

Since party formation entails a lot of work, the election commission is urging those who are interested in forming political parties to begin preparations at the earliest.

The Commission is calling on all interested to start forming parties including the registration of members, appointment of office bearers, collection of registration and membership fees and voluntary contributions, establishment of headquarter and Dzongkhag offices and drawing up a charter in accordance with the political party rules and notification in this behalf.

The Charter of the political party must categorically state that the party: shall bear true faith and allegiance to the constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan, shall uphold the sovereignty, national security, unity and integrity of the kingdom, shall demonstrate that the party is broad based with cross national membership and support and is committed to national cohesion and stability, is committed to the advancement of democracy and the social, cultural, political and economic growth of Bhutan, does not restrict its membership based on region, gender, language, religion and other status, does not receive money or any assistance from foreign sources, be it government, non governmental, private organizations or from private parties or individuals.

The notification for formation of political parties says the application for registration must contain the name of the political party, the election symbol and the name of the Dzongkhag in which the head office of the party will be located. It should also contain the address to which letters and other communication are to be sent and the names and addresses of President, Secretary, Treasurer and other office-bearers of the party.

The Election Commission says with the publication of these notifications, any activity carried out in relation to the formation of political parties shall be deemed legitimate.

Meanwhile, the ceiling for registration fee has been fixed at a maximum of Nu. 3,000. The ceiling of the membership fee has been fixed at Nu. 5,000. Dasho Kuenzang Wangdi said voluntary contributions should not exceed a Nu. 100,000 per annum per member. “This is expected to ensure a level playing field amongst different political parties and enable all voters to join any party of their choice.”

2007, March 19: Coinciding with the SAARC car rally, which arrived in Bhutan today, a conference on ICT for sustainable and inclusive development in SAARC was held in the capital. The half day conference was organized by the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The conference is being held on relevant themes in all the SAARC countries. The theme of the rally is ‘connecting people, strengthening ties.’

In Bhutan, a conference on ICT for sustainable and inclusive development in SAARC was organized to share experiences with member countries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Information and Communications minister, Lyonpo Leki Dorji said the SAARC car rally was symbolic of people’s commitment to foster a meaningful and stronger regional association by improving physical connectivity in the region and reinforcing people-to-people relations.

He said ICT had brought many benefits to the people within a short span of time. “ICT has helped bridge geographical distances and manmade boundaries. ICT is no longer a choice but a necessary tool.”

The vice president of BCCI Bap Kinga said private sector is trying to catch up with the developments in ICT.

During the conference, resource persons from India, Nepal and Bhutan made presentations on ICT and developments in their region.

More than 60 representatives from the private sector and the government attended the conference. The ambassador of India to Bhutan Mr. Sudhir Vyas also attended the conference.

2007, March 16: His Majesty the King granted an audience to the Indian home secretary, Mr. VK Duggal today. He is leading a four member delegation to the kingdom. They arrived on a three day official visit on Thursday.

The Indian home secretary also called on the prime minister, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk. On Thursday, Mr. Duggal called on the home and cultural affairs minister, Lyonpo Jigme Thinley and met his Bhutanese counterpart, Dasho Penden Wangchuk.

Speaking to the Bhutanese media the Indian home secretary described the friendship between the two countries as a relationship of absolute trust, understanding and time tested friendship.

Mr. Duggal said his visit was aimed at further strengthening the existing strong ties of friendship between the two countries. The Indian home secretary said the meeting with the Bhutanese dignitaries focused on issues of mutual interest such as training of RBP personnel and facilitating information exchange between the two countries on the happenings particularly in and around the border.

The Bhutanese home secretary, Dasho Penden Wangchuk described the visit as historic. Mr. VK Duggal is the first Indian home secretary to visit Bhutan.

Dasho Penden Wangchuk said during the meetings the two governments shared views and information related to border security.

The Indian home secretary and his delegation will be leaving the kingdom on Sunday.

Mr. V K Duggal took over as the Union home secretary in March 2005. He is also concurrently the secretary in the department of justice, ministry of law.

Over a career spanning more than 40 years, he has held several high level positions in the Indian government. He has also served as secretary in several ministries including the ministry of commerce and industry, tourism and culture, ministry of environment and forests, ministry of steel, water resources, and ministry of rural development.

2007, March 16: The Kurichu Hydro Power Project generated a profit of Nu. 90 million in 2005 and 2006. It began commercial production in November 2001. For three years since it began commercial production, it ran on loss. The loss has been attributed to the transmission lines and weak connections in the transmission towers.

The Kurichu Hydro Power Project has a capacity of generating 60 megawatt of electricity. For about five months every year with the onset of the winter, the Kurichu hydropower project is able to generate only about one fourth its capacity.

The project has four turbines each with a capacity of producing 15 megawatts of electricity. During the dry winter months, it can run only one of the turbines. The project’s Chief Engineer Thinley Dorji said this was because of the decrease in the water volume. “The dry season starts in November and continues till April. It is also affecting power supply in the eastern region.”

The project takes advantage of the dry season to carry out its annual maintenance work.

The Kurichu Hydro Power Project also supplies electricity to more than 7,000 households in eastern region, Zhemgang and Sarpang. It generates about 400 units of electricity in a year.

RCSC, University of Texas sign MoU

2007, February 16: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on academic collaboration has been signed between the Royal Civil Service Commission and the University of Texas at El Paso, USA. The MoU was signed by the University’s president and the RCSC secretary Dasho Bap Kesang this afternoon.

Under the MoU, the University of Texas at El Paso will offer scholarships to four Bhutanese students every year for undergraduate and graduate studies. Students from the University of Texas will also come to Bhutan on internships.

The MOU also provides for exchange of faculty and joint research programs. Speaking to BBS, the President of the University of Texas at El Paso, Diana Nataliso said that so far some 15 Bhutanese students have graduated from the university.

Currently there are about seven Bhutanese students studying geology, engineering, business administration and information technology.

According to the RCSC, the project will help build the human resource capacity in the kingdom.

2007, March 08: Bhutan Telecom has revised the tariff for fixed line, mobile and internet services. The revised tariff will come into effect from April 1. The processing fee for pre-paid mobile vouchers will be reduced Nu. 2 to Nu. 40 depending on the denomination of the voucher. A new voucher card with Nu. 50 will be available. The validity period for Nu. 500 Ngultrum voucher has been increased to 60 days from 45 days.

The monthly rental charge for the fixed line will be reduced by Nu. 50 a month but the cost of a local charge will go up by 30 chetrums, from Nu. 1.2 a unit to 1.5 a unit. A unit is three minutes.

The Bhutan Telecom has also reduced the monthly rates for internet lease line services, setup charges, temporary internet lease lines, web and mail hosting, group email, and domain name registration.

Dial up internet service will be provided free of charge. The users will, however, have to pay the local call charge while accessing dial up internet service. Customers who want to avail the facility should register with Druknet.

Free internet and the reduced telephone rental charge are aimed at increasing the use of the fixed telephone line as well as expanding the base of dial up users.

The Bhutan Telecom says the customer base for fixed phone lines has stagnated at about 30,483 while mobile users has increased to 85,659 since its launch in November 2003. Its dial up internet users has also remained at about 5000.

Two killed, one injured in Indian highway accidents

2007, March 08: Two Bhutanese lost their lives in two separate accidents on the Assam West Bengal highway in the past week. A man in his late twenties was also injured after his truck collided with another truck. His leg was fractured. The accident took place around 100 kilometers from Samdrupjongkhar.

On March 3, a 45 year old woman was killed after she was run over by a man riding a speeding motorbike. The accident took place Barovisa. The victim was on her way to Phuntsholing from Samdrupjongkhar.

According to our Phuntsholing correspondent the victim was going to buy a doma after lunch when the incident took place. She was taken to a hospital in Alipur hospital from where she was referred to a hospital in Siliguri. She died on the way to Siliguri. The deceased was from Khaling in Trashigang.

A 45 year old man died on the way to Guwahati hospital March 1. The deceased was on his way to Sarpang from Samdrupjongkhar with his family to process the new ID card.

The accident occurred after he tried to overtake a truck. According to our Samdrupjongkhar correspondent, Pema Samdrup the victim was driving a Maruti van. It got crushed between two trucks, the truck he was trying to overtake and an oncoming truck.

His wife suffered a broken arm and his son sustained head injuries. The other passengers escaped with minor injuries. The accident took place at a place called Howli some 200 kilometers from Samdrupjongkhar. The injured are being treated at a hospital in Guwahati.

Indian traffic police said Bhutanese motorists were used to driving in hilly mountainous region and lack experience driving on Indian highways. They said most of the accidents on Indian highways involving Bhutanese motorists are mainly due to their lack of experience in driving in the plains.

According to Indian traffic officials, they also tend to over speed and do not know how to overtake other vehicles and follow traffic rules. The accidents mostly involve private vehicles.

2007, March 06: Farmers in Bumthang can now grow more than one variety of rice. The Renewable Natural Resources Research Center(RNRRC) in Jakar will introduce another rice variety over the next two years. At the moment, the farmers in Bumthang cultivate only one highland rice variety the Jakar Ray Nap.

Bumthang valley situated at an altitude of over 2000 meters has now been cultivating rice for three years. In this wide highland valley, the mercury can sometimes drop to minus 12 degrees in the winter.

Till 2004, cultivating paddy in Bumthang was considered an unrealistic dream. The Renewable Natural Resources Research Center proved it wrong introducing a rice variety that can be grown in Bumthang.

Agriculture researchers are testing 27 rice varieties at the observation nursery at the Renewable Natural Resources Research Center in Jakar. These rice varieties were brought from Nepal, Japan and China.

According to the Program Officer, Wangda Dukpa two varieties from Nepal have shown potential for cultivation in Bumthang. “In the next two-three years, we are hoping to produce atleast 1-2 new varieties which are at par or better than existing jakar ray nap variety," said Wangda Dukpa. These two potential rice varieties are Chandanath one and three.

Till last year 61 farmers cultivated the only rice variety available in Bumthang the Jakar Ray Nap. 40 year old Kesang Dema from Jhalikhar is one of them. Today, accompanied by her children she heads towards her field. She has been cultivating rice since 2005. In just one year her produce has almost doubled.

Most farmers are now preparing their field for rice plantation. “I no longer have to buy rice since I began growing rice in my own field, “ She said. It is half past twelve. Kesang’s elder sister comes to the field with lunch. The rice is Jakar Ray Naap harvested from this very field where they are working now. She harvested about 1500 kilograms of rice last year from about one acre field.

According to the Renewable Natural Resources Research Center rice production has increased though they are not readily available in the market. Most of the stores in Bumthang bring rice from Trongsa and other places. The rice may not be available in the market but farmers in Bumthang do not have to buy rice from the shops either and that is a major step towards food self sufficiency.

2007, March 05: The Royal Government of Bhutan and the Government of India exchanged the Instruments of Ratification of the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty on Friday, March 2. The Instruments of Ratifications was respectively signed by His Majesty the King of Bhutan and His Excellency the President of the Republic of India.

The India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty has come into force with the exchange of the Instruments of Ratification.

The Foreign Minister, Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk, and the Ambassador of India to Bhutan, Mr. Sudhir Vyas, exchanged the Instruments of Ratification of the India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty in Thimphu.

The Treaty was signed between the two countries on 8th February 2007 at New Delhi during the visit to India by His Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.   
                                         
The Indian ambassador to Bhutan, Mr. Sudhir Vyas, said the Friendship Treatyserves as a foundation for the continued expansion and growth of this relationship to greater heights. “This relationship today is being described as a model of good neighborly relations. In the years to come it will grow further and work for the mutual benefits of the people of the two countries,” said the Indian Ambassador.

A press release from the foreign ministry said the treaty not only reflects the contemporary and expanded nature of the relationship between the two countries but further provides the foundation for the continued growth of this excellent relationship in the 21st century. The Treaty aims to consolidate the mutually beneficial relationship in a manner that is responsive to and serves each other’s national interests through close cooperation.

2007, March 05: The delimitation commission of Bhutan has announced the draft delimitation plan of national assembly constituencies. According to the draft delimitation plan there will be 47 seats in the national assembly corresponding to 47 constituencies.

Tashigang
Tashigang has five constituencies. The Radhi-Sakteng constituency will comprise the geogs of Merak Sakteng, Radhi and Phongme.
The Bartsham Shongphu constituency will constitute Bartsham, Bidung, Yangneer and Shongphu.

Thrimshing and Kangpara geogs will form the Thrimshing constituency.

The geogs of Kanglung, Samkhar and Uzorong will fall under the Kanglung Samkhar Uzorog constituency. Khaling and Lumang geogs will make up the Wamrong constituency.

Samtse Dzongkhag has four constituencies followed by Mongar and Pema Gatshel with three seats each.

Samtse
In Samtse, the Pagli Samtse constituency will comprise Chengmari, Pagli and Samtse while the Sipsu constituency will consist of Bara, Biru, Sipsu and Tendu geogs. The Dorokha Tading constituency will be made up of the geogs of Denchukha, Dorokha, Dumtoe and Tading. The Ugyentse-Yoeseltse constituency will constitute of Chargharey, Lahireni, Ugentse and Yorseltse.

Pemagatshel
In Pema Gatshel, Chokhorling, Dechheling and Norbuling gewogs will form the Nanglam constituency. The Khar-Yurung constituency will be made up of Chimung, Chongshing, Dungmin, Khar and Yurung geogs.

The Nanong Shumar constituency will be made up of Nanong, Shumar and Zobel geogs.

Mongar
Mongar Dzongkhag will also have three constituencies.

Under the Mongar constituency will fall Chali, Drepong, Monggar, Tsakaling, Tsamang and Thangrong geogs.

Dremitse Ngatshang constituency will be composed of Balam, Chaskar, Dremitse, Narang Ngatshang and Shermung geogs. The third constituency under Mongar is Kengkhar Weringla will include Gongdue, Jurmey, Khengkhar, Saling and Silambi geogs.

The rest of the dzongkhags have been allocated two constituencies each.

Thimphu
In Thimphu, one constituency will comprise North Thimphu Throm, Kawang, Lingshi, Naro and Soe. The second constituency will be made up of South Thimphu Throm, Chang, Dagala, Genye and Mewang geogs.

Paro
In Paro, the Lamgong Wangchang constituency will be made up of Dopshari, Doteng, Hungrel, Lamgong, Tsento and Wangchang geogs while the Doga Shaba constituency will comprise Doga, Lungnyi, Naja and Shaba geogs.

Wangdiphodrang
In Wangdiphodrang, the constituency of Nisho Sephu will include Bjena, Dangchu, Gangtey, Kazhi, Nyisho, Phangyul, Phobji and Sephu geogs. The second constituency is Athang Thedtso. It will comprise Athang, Daga, Gase-Tsho-Gom, Gase-Tsho-Wom, Nahi, Thetsho and Rubesa geogs.

Punakha
In Punakha, the geogs of Chhubu, Goenshari, Kabji, Shenga-Bjemi and Toewang will form the Kabji Toewang constituency while the Barp, Dzomi, Guma, Lingmukha, Talo and Toebisa geogs will form the Lingmukha-Talo constituency.

Haa
In Haa too there will be only two constituencies. Bji, Katsho and Uesu geogs will form one constituency. The second constituency will comprise Gakiling, Samar and Sombaykha geogs.

Gasa
In Gasa, Goenkhatoe and Laya geogs will form one constituency while Goenkhamey and Lunana geogs will form the other constituency.

Chukha
In Chukha, the Phuntsholing constituency will be made up of Dungna, Geling, Lokchina, Metakha, Phuntsholing and Sampheling gewogs.
Bjachho, Bongo, Chapcha, Darla and Getana gewogs will form the Bongo-Chapcha constuiency.

Dagana
In Dagana, the Durjeygang-Tseza constituency will comprise Drujeygang, Kana, Khebisa, Lajab, Trashiding, Tshangkha and Tseza gewogs.

The Gozhi-Lhamoyzingkha constituency will be composed of Deorali, Dorona, Gesarling, Gozhi, Lhamoy Zingkha, Nichula and Tsendagang gewogs.

Tsirang      
In Tsirang, Dunglegang, Gosaling, Pataley, Phuntenchu, Semjong and Tsirangtoe gewogs will form the Pately-Tsirangtoe constituency.
         
The Kilkorthang-Mendeygang constituency will be formed by Barshong, Betine, Kikhorthang, Mendrelgang, Rangthangling and Tsholingkhar gewogs.

Sarpang
In Sarpang, the Shompangkha constituency will include Dekiling, Dovan, Hilley, Sengye and Shompangkha gewogs while the Gelephu constituency will comprise Bhur, Chuzargang, Gelephu, Jigmechhoeling, Shershong, Taklai and Umling gewogs.

Zhemgang
In Zhemgang too, there will be only two constituencies.
Bardo, Nangkor, Shingkhar and Trong geogs will form the Bardo-Trong constituency. The Panbang constituency will be made up of Bjoka, Goshing, Nganglha and Pangkhar gewogs.

Trongsa
In Trongsa, the Nubi and Tangsibji gewogs will form the Nubi-Tangshibji constituency while Drakteng, Korphu and Langthel gewogs will form the Drakteng-Langthel constituency.

Bumthang
Bumthang will also have two constituencies. The Choekhor-Tang constituency will be formed by Choekhor and Tang gewogs while the Chumey-Ura constituency will have Chumey and Ura as its constituent gewogs.

Lhuntse
In Lhuentse, the Gangzur-Minjay constituency will include Gangzur, Khoma, Kurtoe and Minjay gewogs while Jary, Menbi, Metsho and Tshenkhar gewogs will form the Menbi-Tshenkhar constituency.

Trashiyangtse
In Trashi Yangtse, Bumdeling, Khamdang, Toetsho and Yangtse gewogs will form the Bomdeling-Khamdang constituency while Jamkhar, Ramjar, Tomzhang and Yalang gewogs will form the Jamkhar-Ramjar constituency.

Samdrupjongkhar
In Samdrup Jongkhar, Deothang, Gomdar, Orong, Phuntshothang and Wangphu gewogs will form the Deothang-Gomdhar constituency. The Jomotshangkha-Martshala constituency will comprise Langchenphu, Lauri, Martshala, Pemathang, Samrang and Serthi gewogs.

2007, March 02: Health officials have detected four new HIV positive taking the total number to 105. Of the four new cases three are females and one is a male. They are all adults.

In 2006, health officials detected 28 people with HIV.

The figure is the highest in a year since HIV was first detected in the kingdom in 1993.

The majority of the people who have been detected with HIV are among the young sexually active age group. About 21 percent of them are between 15 to 24 years.

Most of the HIV positive people in Bhutan have contacted the virus through unprotected sex. Health officials say the reluctance to use condom especially among the sexually active is a serious concern.

Of the total number, 10 are children. They were infected through mother to child transmission.

Two contracted the virus through needle sharing for injecting drugs.
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2007, March 02: A 25 year old student of Sherubtse College died of drug overdose yesterday morning. The deceased was a final year economics honors student.    
     
According to a nurse at the Kanglung Basic Health Unit, the deceased was brought to the Basic Health Unit at around 8:20 am.

She said the student was already dead when he was brought to the Basic Health Unit. She told our Kanglung correspondent, Dorji Dema that he died from drug overdose.

2007, March 01: Doctors at the national referral hospital say alcohol related death is increasing. In 2006 alone 45 people died of alcohol related diseases at the national referral hospital. The hospital treated 149 patients.

Kezang wangchuk, 44, has been drinking alcohol since he was seven years old. Kezang picked up the habit back at the village while looking after the cows and his siblings. “I drank heavily till the age of 27. I drink less and only after office hours, but I think i cannot kill the habit.”

Sonam Choden, Kezang’s wife, is frustrated. She said that despite her repeated pleading he still comes home drinking sometimes.

Alcohol is common in Bhutan. It is an inevitable part of religious festivals and celebrations. The tradition of drinking is deep rooted in the Bhutanese culture.

In 2006, 149 people were admitted in the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral hospital with alcohol related diseases. This is an increase of 10 cases from 2005. But this is the figure in the national referral hospital alone.

Doctors say alcohol related disease is becoming one of the leading causes of death in the country. In 2005, 40 people died out of alcohol related disease. In 2006 the figure increased to 45.

Dr. Ballab Sharma, a senior medical specialist at the hospital explained damages done to the body by alcohol: “Alcohol affects all the system in the body, not only one particular system. But, the major the major burnt is the liver. Liver is the master organ and once it gets affected all filtration, chemicals toxins metabolizes from the liver.”

Alcohol also has adverse social and economic implications. It is a leading cause of domestic violence. Most domestic violence take place after the husband come home intoxicated.

Easy availability is also seen as another reason for wide spread alcohol consumption. As of June 2006, there are more 3000 bars in the kingdom. On an average there is a bar for every Bhutanese.
           
The growing problem of alcohol has even been discussed in the national assembly, the highest lawmaking body. During the 85th session of National Assembly, the health minister, Lyonpo (Dr) Jigme Singye informed the House that a report by the World Health Organization revealed that Bhutan has the highest alcohol consumption figures in the South Asia region.

Alcohol consumption has only increased over the years especially in Thimphu. The capital has more than 1200 bars.

Records maintained by the regional revenue and customs department reveals that the supply of hard drinks to liquor shops in Thimphu from the distilleries in Gelephu, Samtse and Samdrup Jongkhar has increased over the years. Between July 2003 and June 2004, the department recorded about 63,000 cases of liquor was supplied to the numerous liquor outlets in the capital. The supply increased to more than 67,000 cases between July 2005 and June 2006.

At this rate only one thing is certain, there will be more patients suffering from alcohol related diseases and more deaths.

2007, March 01: The Anti Corruption Commission has issued suspension letters to five more government officials. They are from the ministry of works and human settlement and two are from the ministry of finance.

The officials from the works and human settlement ministry are under detention.

The two officials from the ministry of finance are the district engineer of Bumthang and the ministry’s stores assistant. Both of them have been issued suspension orders.

The former Thrompon and the senior planning officer of the Thimphu City Corporation who were not suspended by the ministry was because they had some important assignments to complete, according to the works and human settlement minister.

Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji said the assignments have been completed yesterday and the suspension decisions would be taken today.
           
According to the Anti Corruption Commission, all the officials have been charged for fraud including misuse of authority and forgery. They were also involved in illegal misappropriation of public properties.