A delegation from the Republic of Bangladesh led by State Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury arrived in Thimphu yesterday to learn about the country’s resettlement programme.

Between 2011 and 2015, a total of 245 households were resettled on 533.17 acres of dry land and 122.50 acres of residential land.

Upon the command of His Majesty the Druk Gyalpo, National Land Commission (NLC) initiated the National Resettlement Programme in 2011.

Secretary of NLC, Pema Chewang, said: “This is the first time that NLC is trying to showcase the success story of the national resettlement programme.”

He said that this project focuses on landless farmers and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. The office of Gyalpoi Zimpon identifies the beneficiaries.

Programme director of NLC, Ugyen Tenzing, said that the beneficiaries are identified from remote areas without road, electricity and basic facilities.

He said that 50-decimal land would be on freehold as residential land whereas arable land would be based on use right.

He said that intervention programmes such as lhakhang construction, community centre, solar fencing, irrigation channel, and sustainable land management are provided. Income generation programmes such as poultry, piggery, fishery, dairy and cash crop were also supported.

Land size allocation is determined by a formula developed by the agencies concerned.

Ugyen Tenzing said that the main objective of the project is to eradicate poverty.

Besides NLC, the office of the Gyalpoi Zimpon, Gross National Happiness Commission, agriculture ministry, health ministry, finance ministry, education ministry, economic affairs ministry, Bhutan Power Corporation, home ministry, works and human settlement ministry are involved in the programme.

Resettlement programme was implemented in four dzongkhags – Pemagatshel (Khenadang and Borangmo), Lhuntse (Nye), Samdrupjongkhar (Dawathang) and Haa (Sambeykha).

Rinchen Zangmo

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