His Majesty The King with the Prime Minister, Dr Lotay Tshering, and the Chief Operations Officer of the Royal Bhutan Army, Lt. General Batoo Tshering at the Amochu Land Development and Township project area, where the RBA completed construction of 1,000 units of temporary housing for families evacuated from Jaigaon.

His Majesty The King arrived in Thimphu yesterday after a tour of Phuentsholing and Samtse to inspect measures against Covid-19. The Prime Minister accompanied His Majesty on the Royal Tour.

His Majesty travelled to Phuentsholing on May 9 and visited the temporary housing built for people evacuated from Jaigaon before the closure of our international borders.

Construction at the Amochu Land Development and Township Project area, which began on March 28, is now complete. The structures, built by the Royal Bhutan Army upon Royal Command, will accommodate 1,000 families. The first 40 families moved into the new houses today, in a tendrel ceremony attended by the Prime Minister. Allotment is ongoing for the remaining families.

While in Phuentsholing, His Majesty also granted Audience to the Phuentsholing Covid-19 task force, and inspected the border from Pasakha to Phuentsholing. The stretch is manned by DeSuups, RBA and RBP personnel, retired armed force personnel, and volunteers including those from the Department of Immigration, Department of Revenue and Customs, Department of Forests, and National Land Commission on sentry duty at numerous outposts. His Majesty met with the personnel on duty at these outposts, and commended them for their work.

In Samtse, His Majesty The King visited the site for the Gyalsung Training Centre in Jamtsholing, where preparatory work is underway for construction to begin.

His Majesty also granted separate Audiences to the DeSuups undergoing the 39th Batch accelerated DeSuung training at Samtse, Tashicholing, and Tendruk. Volunteers are being trained at SamdrupJongkhar, Sarpang, Wangduephodrang, and Paro as well as the three locations in Samtse for the 39th Batch, which took in 2,851 men and women for the accelerated training.

With the addition of the 39th batch the overall strength of the DeSuung will be 9,873 men and women. Trainees of the 38th accelerated batch have already joined other DeSuups engaged with Covid-19 related activities, to serve at various locations across the country for sentry, patrolling, quarantine support, and stocking essential goods.