SARBHANG

Domestic Airports 8 January, 2010 - The Gelephu domestic airport will start operations from June 2011, according to the Mckinsey’s milestone plan for civil aviation endorsed by the government and not December 2010, as stated in the government executive order.

The master plan for Gelephu airport should be developed by June 2010 and by September this year, the department of civil aviation (DCA) should have acquired the land and paid compensation to land owners. This is according to the milestone plan, which was signed between the DCA the ministry of information and communications on December 9 last year.

“The milestone plan will precede the executive order,” said the DCA director general, Phala Dorji.

The Gelephu airport has provisions to be expanded into an international airport, said DCA officials. “We’re looking at having an instrument landing system (ILS) where flights can land at night, unlike Paro,” said the aerodrome officer with DCA, Sangay Wangdi. “To have that we need a huge amount of land.”

Sangay Wangdi said that the Indian airport authority team, who had earlier visited the area, had recommended 840 acres for an international airport.

The DCA is still working on networking routes between the domestic airports and the international airports in Guwahati and Bagdora in India. “It’s something new to us and we don’t want to rush,” said DCA’s director general. “This is because a domestic airport won’t have facilities like immigration and customs and no domestic airports are connected to international airports. You have to come to Paro for international flights.”

He said that Bhutan might have to use Guwahati’s and Bagdora’s facilities if it is to connect a domestic airport to an international airport. “It’s practiced in Europe but we can’t take it for granted that it’ll work here,” said Phapa Dorji. “So we’re still exploring, keeping in mind the legalities.”

Meanwhile, construction of the terminal building and repair work on the airstrip in Yonphula, Trashigang, will begin from January 25, said Phala Dorji. “There’s already an airstrip so what we need is power and water supply and a small terminal building,” he said. The Nu 11.2 mn project has been awarded to Kuenleg construction enterprise private limited, a firm based in Phuentsholing. The project is to be completed by May 2010.

Yonphula should be commissioned and operational by December 2010, according to the milestone plan.

In Bumthang, around 30 to 40 acres of land has been identified in Barpalathang for the domestic airport. While the master plan for this airport is ready, DCA officials said that cadastral survey and cost estimates are yet to be done. Swedavia, an international civil aviation Swedish consultancy firm, does each master plan, which takes about two months.

Officials said the airport in Bumthang would not displace as many people as in Gelephu, since more than 90 percent of the airport land is government owned. “But we might take about 20 to 30 decimal of private land in the southern side of the airport to divert the river,” said Sangay Wangdi.

The Bumthang airport, which will soon see the installation of meteorological equipment, would comprise of an airstrip of 1,200 m, an apron, a taxiway and a terminal building. By March this year, land should be acquired and demarcated and airport construction, tendered out according to the plan and operations, should begin by December.

DCA has come up with three small aircraft that could be used for domestic flights. They are the Dornier 228, which Druk Air first flew when it started, the Beechcraft 200 and the Pilatus PC-12. “The Dornier has a capacity of 13-19 passengers, while the other two can fly between seven to nine passengers at a time,” said the aerodrome officer, Sangay Wangdi.

The feasibility study on helicopter services was to be completed by December 2009, according to the executive order. Phala Dorji said that Bhutan already has a feasibility study on chopper services since 1992. “With the airports coming up, we decided to combine the helicopter and aircraft services,” he said. “Whoever expresses interest in providing aircraft services can also provide chopper services.”

By Sonam Pelden in Kuensel

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Airport (prior development) Almost half the required land is privately owned

Gelephu Domestic Airport 7 January, 2008 - Around 220 households could be displaced once the construction of the domestic airport at Nayabasti, about two kilometres north of Gelephu town begins, say dungkhag officials.

Officials said that the figure is based on preliminary survey reports and is subject to change.

The director general of the department of civil aviation, Phala Dorji, said that the exact number of people, who would be displaced, will be known only after the cadastral survey report is compiled by the national land commission. The survey, he said, was completed last week.

He however said that, of the 840 acres of land, that would be used to construct the airport, almost 50 percent is owned by the people. “About 400-500 acres of land are owned by the people. Some have built concrete buildings and some are semi permanent structures,” he said. “The rest of the land is government owned. But, since it’s a domestic airport, at this moment, we feel that the houses may not be affected,” said Phala Dorji.

He said that a reassessment has to be done for the concrete buildings, which are two to three storied and fall in the airport vicinity.

According to the executive order issued on November 13, last year, the ministry of information and communications has been directed to develop airstrip and commence aviation operations in Gelephu by December this year. The domestic airport in Trashigang should start operations by spring this year and Bumthang by June 2011.

The domestic airport, which would comprise a runway and a terminal building is today still partly under forest cover. Phala Dorji said that the construction would begin as soon as the civil aviation gets the airport land. “We aren’t looking at a big project, so it’ll be completed on time,” he said.

The Gelephu domestic airport, among other plans, is expected to accelerate economic development, by enhancing domestic revenue and generating employment opportunities.

By Sonam Pelden in Kuensel

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GELEPHU GAMBIT For the first time a fair of this sort is to be held in the region

7 January, 2008 - With the Bhutan-India friendship trade fair in Gelephu to open tomorrow, there is apprehension among the organisers that all 45 participants from India may not make it because of continued strikes in the bordering Indian state of Assam.

An indefinite strike from January 1 called by AKRSU, (all Kamtapur student union), who are demanding a separate state for the Kush Raj Bangshi, has stopped movement of vehicles plying the Gelephu-Samdrupjongkhar-Phuentsholing highway via the states of Assam and Bengal.

“The 45 participants from 25 Indian firms and companies have confirmed their participation, but a few may not make it due to ongoing strikes,” said Chandra B Chhetri, deputy secretary of Bhutan chamber of commerce and industry (BCCI), who is organising the fair.

“We have participants from Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Assam, who will showcase their products of micro, small and medium enterprises for the first time,” said Chandra Chhetri.

According to the vice president of BCCI, Thinley Pelden, they have requested the Gelephu and Assam police to arrange a special escort for all the Indian participants. “They’ve agreed to render all possible assistance and support to bring them together to Gelephu,” he told Kuensel.

More than 100 firms and companies from India and Bhutan are expected to participate in the trade fair, which is scheduled to conclude on January 12. Of the 45 stalls occupied by Indian firms, 12 will be by the north eastern development financial corporation ltd., and 12 by the Bodo of Assam.

This fair, according to Thinley Pelden, will primarily focus on the micro, small and medium enterprises from Bhutan, and eight states of India for participation. Seminars on the B2B business market development model, launch of rural products and services, awareness programs on health, social and environmental issues, demonstrations on management and operation of agro-forestry and backyard farms for the rural folk and cross border cultural exchange, have also been planned every evening.

The five-day fair with the theme of ‘enhancing cross-border partnership’ is the first of its kind in the south-central region. Gelephu was chosen as the venue, based on its strategic location. “It’s also the picnic season for Indians,” said Thinley Pelden. The regional agency of the Bhutan-India friendship association (BIFA) is involved in the promotion of the event.

By Rinzin Wangchuk in Kuensel

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By Sonam Pelden and Jigme Wangchuk in Bhutan Observer

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30 December, 2009 - A special audit investigation is being carried out at the Gelephu post office, following a request from Sarpang court, to reinvestigate the misappropriation of Nu 305,785 by the postal in-charge of the branch office in Panbang, Zhemgang.

The Bhutan Post management found, through internal auditing, that Ugyen Dorji, 25, had misappropriated the money during his tenure as the postal in-charge of Panbang post office, Zhemgang, from March 2008 to January 2009.

Ugyen Dorji had misused the public money order that is transacted through the post by fax and letter. Post offices in other parts of the country had paid to the public money orders sent from the Panbang post office but Ugyen Dorji had not reimbursed the money to the other post offices, according to a Sarpang court official.

There is no pending payment to the public, according to Bhutan Post’s regional manager in Gelephu, Karma Tshering. “Bhutan Post had made immediate payments from our imprest fund,” he said.

Bhutan Post had filed the case against the defendant earlier this year in the Gelephu dungkhag court, where the defendant had admitted misusing the funds and entered a legal agreement to repay the money. “He has failed to repay so we had to file the case again,” the regional manager said.

Once the case was forwarded to Sarpang court, the defendant submitted a petition to reinvestigate the case, stating that he was not satisfied with the investigation carried out by internal auditors. “We requested the audit to carry out the investigation to give fair justice and to satisfy the aggrieved party,” a court official in Sarpang said.

Bhutan Post had recovered Nu 26,275 from the defendant from his monthly salary and other entitlements. “However, the amount is subject to change with the audit investigation, which will be known within next three days” Karma Tshering said.

Ugyen Dorji from Samdrupjongkhar is in police custody.

By Tashi Dema in Kuensel

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Thousands of devotees gathered at the courtyard of the Tali Dratshang in Gelephu for the three day Sarpang tshechu which concludes today. Organizers are expecting the biggest crowds to gather today to witness the closing ceremony.

Government offices in the Dzongkhag remained closed from December 25 to 27 to celebrate the annual festival.

Well known mask dances that carry religious significance were performed besides the traditional Dzongkha dances at the courtyard of the Dratshang. Dzongkhag and dungkhag officials, and the residents here witnessed the festival.

The annual festival, which began in 1991 has been attracting more and more spectators, each year. It is a popular religious event for the people of the dzongkhag.

The reason for the growing crowds in the recent years has been attributed to the increased population in the dzongkhag after resettlement programme began in early 2000, according to elders.

Many people who have been resettled in the dzongkhag say they have not missed the annual festival since they settled in the dzongkhag. “I make it a point to come to witness this holy event every year,” Sherab, 54, said.

Crowds at the Tshechu not only consist of Buddhists populace but a good number of them are Lhotshampas of belonging to Hindu religion. A young resident of Gelephu, Suresh said that he enjoyed the festival. “I don’t differentiate between different religions,” he said.

The festival as usual, has created a short-term business for some residents. Rows of stalls mainly selling clothes and food items have sprung up in the vicinity.

By M B Subba in Sarpang in Bhutan Today

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Mao Khola may finally have a bridge someday! The department of geology and mines are conducting a sub-soil investiga­tion for the feasibility of the promised bridge over the river.

Design of a single-lane motor cable stay-bridge will hopefully be completed in the next six months, according to the Member of National Assembly from Gelephu, Prem Kumar Gurung.

It is not known when exactly the four gewogs on the other side of Maokhola will have a per­manent bridge over the river to connect them to the rest of Gelephu. A soil study, however, is some progress, given that most people have simply lost hope.

“We don’t know when the promise will be fulfilled. We only know that it is not happening soon,” a farmer said.

In the meanwhile, they will have to carry on as before.

People of four gewogs on the other side of the Maokhola have just com­pleted building temporary bridges over stretches of sand banks over which water still flows.

It is just another annual routine work for the people here. These temporary bridges, built of bamboos and wood, however, will disappear with the onset of the next monsoon.

Then, as the river comes down from the mountains in fury in summer, the people require boatmen to ferry them across to Gelephu. Boatmen from India are employed every summer for about five months when the ferry is needed due to high floodwaters in the river. But even the boats are paralysed for days during huge floods.

People are accustomed to the problem. They are not complaining as they did before unless an outsider asks about their problem. “Now we are used to it,” said an elderly resident of Chuzargang.

Many of them just see it as a distant dream. The feasibility of building a bridge to span over the meandering river to con­nect the villages on the other side of Gelephu calls for an engineering feat.

The people of the four gewogs across the river, who otherwise paid Nu 5 for every trip across the river, however, enjoyed free boat service this summer paid for from the constituency development grant (CDG) budget.

MP Prem Kumar Gu­rung launched the free boat service through CDG budget over Maokhola last August. He faced stiff opposition when he had decided to use CDG fund to pay the salary of the boatmen. The government sanctioned Nu 320,000 for the free boat service proj­ect for 2009.

However, given the re­curring nature of the free boat service, the people are not sure whether they would be in a position to enjoy the same facility next summer.

MP Prem Kumar Gu­rung maintains that It was more important to con­centrate on the immediate need of the people rather than debat­ing on whether it was recurring or not. “People immediately needed the service and it was deliv­ered,” he said.

By M B Subba in GELEPHU in Bhutan Today

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