The Gelephu Mindfulness City, envisioned by His Majesty The King and anchored in the values of Gross National Happiness, will be a valuable gift to the Bhutanese people. People are motivated and confident in the GMC which promises economic prosperity and security for the country’s future. As such, many have already started preparing for it in their way. In Zhemgang, a couple has ventured into a furniture business and hopes to have it ready for the GMC.

Activities and initiatives under the 13th Five-Year Plan mostly do not specify the locations of the planned activities. This the National Land Commission Secretariat, NLCS said will give rise to land use conflicts between the agencies while carrying out their respective plans. To address and solve probable land use conflicts, a three-day stakeholder consultation meeting, a first of its kind was held in Thimphu earlier this week.

The Summer University Games have returned after a long hiatus. The third edition of the sports event among the colleges under the Royal University of Bhutan is underway at Sherubtse College in Trashigang. More than 180 students from ten different colleges within Bhutan are participating in three games. If selected, they will get a chance to take part in the World University Games scheduled to take place in Germany in July next year.

Tsho Gonpa village in Trashigang’s Lumang Gewog is home to nine revered lakes, of which only one still retains some water. However, much to the concern of the villagers, even this lake is now on the verge of drying up. They believe the lake is an abode of their local deity.

To engage students in meaningful activities during their vacation, the Zhemgang Youth Centre continues to offer various programmes. This time, in collaboration with the RENEW Community Service Centre, they are focusing on educating students about gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy. The ten-day summer engagement programme started on Wednesday.

To enhance the country's capacity in pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response through the One Health approach, a Pandemic Fund Project was launched yesterday. One Health approach aims to enhance the health of people and animals. The project worth over USD 4 M which is about Nu 410 M will be jointly carried out by the health, and agriculture and livestock ministries with the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization are the implementation partners.

Illegal and defaulted loans resulting in Non-performing Loans, NPL with various financial institutions have surfaced during the covid pandemic, sparking numerous legal battles. To avoid such cases in the future, a two-day need analysis workshop was held in Paro. This is to enrich attorneys representing financial institutions in better understanding financial regulations, avoiding legal errors, and lowering the danger of costly lawsuits among others.

Machines have transformed the lives of many farmers, making farming easier. In Pema Gatshel’s Norbugang Gewog, villagers are reaping the benefits of the de-husking machines as they are able to earn better when the betel nuts are dehusked. Until now, the villagers had to do the dehusking work manually.

The laying of concrete pavement around the roundabout near the old YDF centre in Phuentshogling Thromde has brought relief to residents after years of enduring pothole-ridden roads. However, the work remains unfinished even after the completion date is over. This is because the contractor was asked to redo some portion of the project due to quality issues. This delay has left the business nearby unhappy.

His Majesty The King graced the closing ceremony of the first session of the Fourth Parliament today. During the ceremony, the National Assembly speaker thanked His Majesty The King for working tirelessly for the peace and security of the country.

Telecommunication costs in the country are higher compared to neighbouring countries. To address this, the government will work with the two telecom operators to reduce talk time costs, data charges, and internet rates by 50 per cent within this fiscal year. Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay shared this during the National Assembly’s question hour session today.

One of the first things that will welcome visitors to the Gelephu Mindfulness City will be a huge four-storied Chorten. The Dorji Lopen of the Central Monastic Body carried out a cleansing ceremony yesterday for the Chorten which is being constructed at Namkhaling in Gelephu. The structure will serve as the gateway to the historic Gelephu Mindfulness City.