Resettlement: His Royal Highness the Gyaltshab Prince Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, accompanied by Ashi Yeatso Lhamo, graced the inauguration of the Rehabilitation project at Ney, Gangzur Gewog, in Lhuentse on the Coronation Day of His Majesty The King.

The event was dedicated to the commemoration of the 60th birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.

On behalf of His Majesty The King, HRH the Gyaltshab granted Royal Kasho and Lag thram for Khimsa to 51 rehabilitation beneficiaries. HRH also inspected the new houses and met with the families of rehabilitation beneficiaries.

HRH also granted an audience and Tokha to more than a thousand people including the rehabilitation beneficiaries, students and teachers of Ney primary school, government officials, and other nearby villagers who had come to attend the function. The people offered Tshogchhang to the Gyaltshab.

On the command of HRH the Gyaltshab, the medical team on duty conducted a health camp where health experts checked and treated individuals. Those, who needed further check-ups, were referred to the Lhuentse hospital.

The project was implemented under the National Rehabilitation Programme which was initiated on the command of His Majesty The King in order to alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods of the landless and socio-economically disadvantaged people across the country. Under the programme beneficiaries are provided land, support for shelter and income generation, and other essential socio-economic services. The rehabilitation program is jointly coordinated by the Office of the Gyalpoi Zimpon, the National Land Commission, and the Gross National Happiness Commission in collaboration with other relevant sectors which together constitute the Multi-sector Task Force (MSTF) of the programme.

A total of 51 households or families (including landless farmers and socioeconomically disadvantaged) from remote and far flung villages in eight gewogs in Lhuentse have been rehabilitated at Ney under His Majesty’s Kidu. Earlier, the rehabilitation beneficiaries had no access to roads, were living in dilapidated structures or had no proper shelter, far from education and health services, had to walk more than an hour to fetch drinking water and were not connected to electricity in their earlier villages. Most households subsisted on agriculture and livestock activities while some had been living on others’ farm land and working for other families on daily wages for generations.

The rehabilitation beneficiaries were granted land and support for housing, income generation and basic socio-economic services. The project also renovated the existing service infrastructures including the lhakhang and primary school in Ney. The project, which commenced in July 2012 and completed by June 2014, was implemented at a cost Nu 53.87 million. The project works were executed by the dzongkhag. As a result of the project, the rehabilitation beneficiaries (51 households, 373 people) now live a very decent and comfortable life in proper houses connected with drinking water, electricity, farm road, income generating activities and sanitation facilities.

After the completion of the first of its kind in Khenadrang, Zobel gewog, in Pemagatshel in 2013, the Ney Rehabilitation project is the second one to be completed under National Rehabilitation Programme. Currently, there are three more such projects being implemented at Borangma under Norbugang gewog in Pemagatshel, Dawathang under Langchenphu gewog in Samdrupjongkhar and Bebji in Sombaykha dungkhag in Haa.

Staff reporter