Land: As part of His Majesty’s land reform exercise, 8,143.34 acres of land was granted as kidu to 7,011 thram holders of Chukha dzongkhag.

During an audience granted to the people of Chukha dzongkhag at the dzong yesterday, His Majesty described land as a scarce and precious resource. His Majesty advised the people to make good use of the land that was being granted to them. With only seven percent of the country’s total land usable and only 4.9 percent of Chukha’s total land arable, land is very special- it empowers those living off it to build a bright future for their children, His Majesty said.

His Majesty also assured the people that once the first round of land kidu is completed in all the 20 dzongkhags, the second round would commence to ensure that whatever land issues still remain would continue to be resolved.

Chukha is the 14th dzongkhag where land kidu has been granted as part of the land reform exercise.

The land reform exercise began in 2007 with the Royal Command from His Majesty to carry out a National Cadastral Resurvey Programme (NCRP). His Majesty commanded that: “Land issues must be resolved once and for all – if we do not take it upon ourselves today to carry out a massive and all encompassing exercise,  then like in the past, we will only make small improvements on the existing system but leave the biggest problems unresolved burdening the future generations.”

The National Land Commission (NLC) began this comprehensive survey from June 2008 and completed it by December 2013. The NCRP brought to light the various discrepancies in land use, records and ownership across the country. The discrepancies are being resolved conclusively with His Majesty’s granting of the land kidu to those people who have been using state land for generations without ownership.

A total of 131,347 acres of land have been granted in 144 gewogs to 109,499 beneficiaries in Lhuentse, Bumthang, Mongar, Wangduephodrang, Haa, Dagana, Punakha, Trongsa, Trashigang, Trashiyangtse, Zhemgang, Pemagatshel, Samdrupjongkhar and Chukha since the historic launch of the exercise from Lhuentse in 2009. All the beneficiaries are exempted from excess land payments.

In Chukha, His Majesty personally met thousands of people from across the dzongkhag who came to the dzong to meet the King. The people were also granted a tokha.

To commemorate the 60th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, His Majesty granted a gilded Chenrezi statue to the Chukha dzongkhag rabdey.

His Majesty granted audiences to civil servants, corporate employees and local government representatives in the dzongkhag in the afternoon.

His Majesty The King is on a Royal Tour to villages in Chukha dzongkhag.