ACC should investigate policy corruption regarding the lease of land where Trowa Theater stands

4^th July 2012: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Members of the National Council presented the PAC report 2011 in line with Article 25.6 of the Constitution of Bhutan. The report was prepared after thorough revision of the Annual Audit Report 2011 by  PAC.

The Members reported that Royal Audit Authority (RAA) had audited 743 accounts and recovered Nu. 87.411 million, recovery higher by 39.21% than that of 2010. The higher recovery was attributed to rigorous follow up action by RAA and prompt actions taken by audited agencies in resolving the pending audit issues. The report also has it that the shortfalls, lapses and deficiencies was the highest unresolved irregularities with 46.51% followed by mismanagement with 37.02%. Violation of law, Rules & Regulations attributed to 14.73% and fraud, corruption and embezzlement at 1.74%.  

According to the Annual Audit Report 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had the highest cases of unresolved irregularities on Fraud, Corruption and Embezzlement amounting Nu. 5.565 millions. The same was among the 39 cases unresolved in eighteen different agencies.

Subsequent to the presentation, the House deliberated on the set of recommendations proposed by PAC and RAA. Among the recommendations, the House debated in length, on the pending issue regarding the lease of land where Trowa Theater is constructed. The Hon’ble Member from Trashigang pointed out that the issue was a serious policy corruption which require ACC to investigate and ensure government land is not sold to a private person. He said such case definitely was against the laws. The House will continue to deliberate on the recommendations tomorrow.

During the Question Time in the afternoon, the Hon’ble Member from Trashigang said that while the Ministry of Agriculture & Forests has come up with various pilot projects devised towards combating human-wildlife conflict, people were of the opinion that the problem of wildlife depredation of crops and animals has remained unchanged. Despite numerous discussions in the Parliament and national forums, the problem was yet to be mitigated. He asked the status of various pilot projects and programs planned to resolve the old issue. He also asked what strategies the Government has put in place to deal with human-wildlife conflict.    

In response, the Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture & Forests said that the pilot projects have proved successful in many places. While the measures taken may not have kept wildlife completely away from crops, the extent of crop depredation caused has reduced. Of the mechanisms devised, he said that the solar fencing has been most successful. While electric fencing could be used, Bhutan Electricity Act deemed illegal to pursue using electric power owing to high risk on people.

Lyonpo also said that the Government installed alarm device as one measure to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. While the device was meant to alert people with the alarm, farmers misunderstood the device to a machine that will drive away the wildlife by its reverberation. That’s why; the alarm device has failed to gain trust and confidence of farmers.

Speaking on the programs in line, Lyonpo said that his ministry has planned of instituting a community-based insurance program wherein initial financial support, for establishment of any initiatives towards mitigating human-wildlife conflict, will be provided by the Government. However, he said that the community has to sustain the program by financing the recurrent part of the projects by themselves. He said that such projects have emerged successful in some parts of the country.

Some of the programs were coffee plantation in the south and hazelnut in the eastern Bhutan. He also said that the Government has signed MoU with Nestle Company of India to assist nestle plantation in Sarpang. He requested the Hon’ble members to contribute and provide unwavering support to the Ministry at all times to enable realizing self sufficiency through such projects.

Later, the House also ratified the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Protocol was introduced by the Hon’ble Minister for Agriculture & Forests instantly after the Question Time.

Face Transplant Operation is 'Most Extensive in History'

A 37-year-old Virginia man severely disfigured by a 1997 gun accident has received the most extensive full-face transplant in medical history, according to University of Maryland Medical Center surgeons.

Hospital officials report that Richard Lee Norris, of Hillsville, Va., is recovering well after an amazing, medically unprecedented 36-hour surgery that not only gave him a new face—from the hairline to the neck--but also teeth, a tongue, and upper and lower jaws. (See before/after photo above, right.)

A week after the full-face operation, Norris’ improvement has exceeded his doctors’ expectations. He can open and close his mouth and is already brushing his new teeth and shaving the whiskers growing on the transplanted face. He’s miraculously regained his sense of smell, which he’d lost after the accident.

Human Rights and Women's Rights in Bhutan

People in different countries belong to different cultures. Despite these differences, they have one thing in common. All human beings are born free and equal and enjoy certain unconditional rights. The idea of Human Rights has become one of the most cherished in the history of human kind.

Human Rights are those rights which every person enjoy simply by the fact that he/she is a human being. Human Rights are universal regardless of a person‘s race, religion, sex and ethnicity. Bhutan is also a signatory to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Subsequent to UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and UN Treaty on Women's Rights, we also talk about women's rights in Bhutan, particularly about empowering them and eliminating any form of discrimination against them. While it is generally said that there is no gender inequality in Bhutan, low women participation in the democratic process has created seroius concerns. The idea of reservation of seats for women has been one of the ideas floated as means for consideration to address this issue.

Asked what the Parliament, Government, institutions and individuals could do to encourage women participation in politics, one of the common answers is advocacy and education. Most of the people think that education and advocacy for women‘s right and opportunities in society would encourage them to participate in political process.

However, I feel that education and advocacy could be taken into consideration only if women in question are either illiterate or semi-literate. Advocacy and education would stimulate women to take proactive role in society. On the contrary, we have a lot of highly qualified and educated women in Bhutan. An advocacy strategy for such women would not make sense.

If learned and experienced women do not take the initiative to participate in political process, it will take decades before we see women in leadership. Unless it is for their genuine interest or a wise policy, strategies such as reservation of seats, advocacy, education and other incentives have negligible value to encourage them participate in the democratic process. Hence, we need to think of more than just advocacy and education to encourage women‘s participation in political process.

To Their Majesties-On their Heavenly Wedding

This is the poem of love from the National Council to Their Majesties on Their Wedding.


 

Men are for Laws and not laws for men....

It is obvious to know that some of the top level beauricrats in our society assume men for laws and not laws for men. It is more obvious to know that they are strong about laws that have to be followed by men strictly not considering what human predicaments men are associated with. Hence old-brain ruled intellectuals of modern today would struggle for another half a century before they are totally freed from the chronic legacy.

Recently, I visited the esteem office of the boss of the department where my wife serves. I would rather have not asked him that for which I still feel embarrassed as help seeker. I asked him if there was any possibilty of my wife being transferred here so that frequent family problems could be solved and unforeseen evils within a married couple could be taken care of.

"The Human Resource Policy of our Ministry has been passed recently and in that anyone initially placed in the urban area has to serve for a minimum of five year", he said. Asked if marital cases could be considered, he said the clauses on marital cases come only after the clause on completion of the aforementioned term. It became more obvious for me. 

Then I asked if the HR Policy could supersede the BCSR 2010 which is believed to be the umbrella rules for the civil servant. He did not want to comment on this. Thus, I realised that men are born for laws not laws made for men.    
  

If someone says 'GEAR FASAI", what one has to understand-Tips during car breakage

If your car breaks down on the way and you cannot change the gear anymore, you ask someone or anyone who drives. Some will not know what actually the problem is. Somone who encountered similar mechanical failure in his past driving time, will say"GEAR FASAI" which is the word used by Indian mechanics. It is nothing but a problem with your gear getting locked in one gear and you cannot shift it to any other desired gear. It happens when the gear lever gets banged and the gear shaft is unstraightened.

It happened recently with my car while I was driving to Pemagatshel. I just crossed Dewathang. Samdrupjongkhar-Dewathang road is as horrible as it could be. No road in the world, not even in hell would there be such road to ply. If such road existed in hell, I think there should be another name for hell which should imply the most horrible meaning than the term hell imply today. The widening work in 2006 has made it so and it would take some years to befit to be called a road plyable and peace road.

Crossing Dewathang would bring you to a road not worser than Samdrupjongkhar-Dewathang road. The widening team is at this stage and this place making the road implyable. There are boulders, mud and many more to stagnant any car. For my car, it was worse. The wheels of my car is not taller than the deep nitch in the mud made by the wheels of the trucks traveling before me. So I was driving careful and suddenly, my gear made a huge croaking sound. By the time, I tried to minize the gear, it had already got locked and it was in the 3rd gear. I tried to pull hard but to vain.

Some minutes later, some racing taxis came but their way blocked by my car. Their race ended when they had to pull my car out of their way. I asked was the problem with my car. One of them said it was gear fasai- the word that I heard for the first time and will never forget. He then advised me to return as I would never make uphills. They assured their helping hand wherever my car wont climb. I drove back but in the same gear (3) and luckily my car could manage to climb uphill at 4 Kilo checkpoint area. I directly drove back and put my car in Barma Workshop. The next day, the mechanics operated my car like doctors and with grunts and whistle of sadness. I just watched what they do. After 6 hours of constant operation, he said it is ready. But ready does not mean for the owner. The head mechanic so called GURUJI drive it until Daranga and to 4 Kilo for test. After that he approves it and finally it was ready. The crooked gear shaft was replaced but the old one was not as crooked as I thought but the negligible bent can divert your days and your luck. That was gear fasai.    

Hon'ble Minister for Finance answers NC querry

In the Question Time of the National Council, the Hon’ble Member from Lhuntse asked question on tax exemption on educational expenses. He said that while tax for Nu.50000 a child was exempted, due to increase in the prices of commodities, the expenses exceeded beyond 100,000. He also said that tax exemption applied only if the expenditure was incurred on the educational expenses of one’s own children and not dependents. Therefore, he asked if the Government could increase the limit to Nu. 1,00,000 a child annually and expenses incurred for the education of their relatives.

To this, the Hon’ble Minister for Finance said that while the Ministry undertook a research on the issue, the finding was not satisfactory. The finding indicated that the increase in limit from Nu. 50000 a child a year would not benefit the general public while those at higher income level could be promoted. He also said that tax for Nu. 5000 a child was exempted without having to provide evidences of expenditure. Should the limit be increased from Nu.50000, the Hon’ble Minister said that the same should be done with Nu. 5000 and the economy would be at stake. It could lead to corrupt practices as well. He said that tax exemption for educational expenses of one’s relative cannot be arranged because if provided, everybody from the villages would prefer studying in schools in the towns.

The Hon’ble Minister said the matter would be taken into account in future.