None-Pollenating Hazelnut Trees: Search Is On For a Solution
Ten years since the hazelnut plantation started in the East of the country, there has barely been any fruiting. Thousands of farmers in all the 20 Dzongkhags (Districts) have been engaged in planting...
View ArticleHazelnut Project: More Questions Than Answers
The controversy marred hazelnut project has thrown up a slew of questions, in the aftermath of the ongoing search for a solution to the none-pollenating problem in the hazelnut plantations across the...
View ArticleThe Hazelnut Project Mystery: What Must Come first - Trees Or Fruits
Lured by the intergenerational glitter promised by the dream merchants, thousands upon thousands of farmers across the country abandoned agriculture production in preference to planting hazelnut trees....
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Aum Rinsy Dem Is No More
I heard of the sad demise of Aum Rinsy Dem, wife of Lyonchen Jigme Yoezer Thinley, the day it happened in Bangkok, Thailand. I couldn’t believe it - so I called up one of her relatives and asked; “Is...
View ArticleRespite For A While From The Haze Of The Hazelnut
This is the 8th in my series of articles on Bhutan’s hazelnut project. I have time and again accepted that the project is meaningful, impactful and transformative. It is the biggest thing that has...
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The Latest Humanitarian Service Project By The Rotary Club of Thimphu
A friend who flew in from Bangkok with a horde of Taiwanese - all 82 of them - was clueless that she was in august company. She grumbled that the chatter was deafening to the point that she got a...
View ArticleCardamom - Oh No --- Not Again!!!!
Over my Bathu lunch at a restaurant in Kawajangtsa, I chanced upon today’s Kuensel article on the cardamom issue ….. The article says “Govt. to buy back about 380MT of cardamom”. What does that mean?...
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That Creed Of Humanoids Called Civil Servants
On December 17, 2018, I was a most desperate man!Desperate because I missed the most substantial part of His Majesty the King’s 111th National Day Address from Samtse. As usual, I was at my computer by...
View ArticleThe Scary Power Of Hydroelectric Power
Since February 2014, I have been alerting the people and the governments of Bhutan that our hydroelectric projects have the potential to enslave us economically. I just learnt that we are not the only...
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Interesting Read: My Old Posts On Cardamom
I am happy to know that India has allowed the exit of Bhutanese cardamom into India. This means that the government does not need to buy the unsold stock currently being held by the farmers. If the...
View ArticleThe Winning Team For The History Books
I am encouraged to know that the 4th Pay Commission has been constituted, although there is no requirement under the Constitution that every new government should establish a Pay Commission. But this...
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Solar Fencing for the Men in Blue
We are into the winter months - at this time of the year, people snuggle into bed early and snuggle out late. The vegetation turns grey and the trees shed leaves. Everything freezes over - things move...
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Of Toilets and Blood Pressure Monitors
“………… It is with the greatest sense of gratitude that I venture to write this letter of Thank You to the Rotary Club of Thimphu, for the unprecedented impact your organization has brought to these...
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Yet Again One More For Our Men In Blue
Blue seems to be currently in vogue rather, on a high of sorts. Barely did we complete the hand-over of a solar fencing project to them at Chhukha, and we are due for another project handover - that of...
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Same Same But New Angle
I spent two days trying to capture the good old Buddha Dordenma statue with the following backdrop. I still did not manage to get it exactly how I want it ... but this comes close. I will try again but...
View ArticleWorld Bank Economist: Do Away With Irrational Exemptions to Attain Fiscal...
This morning I was scanning through my Blog statistics and I was surprised to see that there were 7 people reading my old post dated Friday, May 26, 2017, titled: Hydro Revenue Can’t Assure...
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Safe Drinking Water For Two More Schools
The start of the new year - 2019 has ushered in a period of hectic activities for the Rotary Club of Thimphu. During this single month a total of five projects have been handed over to the communities...
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Impossible Made Possible
I recently posted a photograph of Kuenselphodrang’s Buddha Dordenma on this Blog, with a snow-clad mountain looming large behind the statue. Some viewers I am told is of the view that I did some...
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There Is Nothing Doubtful About What Is Imminent
The national newspaper KUENSEL reveals that a staggering Nu.3,950,000,000.00 (Nu.3.95B) is the amount reported as the financial irregularities in the hydropower sector. This means that in addition to...
View ArticleSad News
I have just been notified that the website:www.arkive.orgwill go offline with effect from 15th February, 2019. It is sad - this website is a treasure-trove of information, particularly on the...
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