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Health ministry delegation in Andra Pradesh

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Jan 18: An eight-member delegation of Health Ministry led by Health Minister Zangley Dupka is currently in visit to Andra Pradesh to study the innovative health scheme Arogyasri and 108 and 104 services.

On Monday morning, the delegation called on state’s Chief Minister K Rosaiah.

State chief minister Rosaiah on the occasion informed the Bhutanese delegation that nearly 70 million people of the State were being benefited by these services and that eight to nine States in India were trying to replicate them.

The Rajiv Arogyasri program was the brainchild of former chief minister of the state Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and it is gaining popularity day-by-day and attracting the attention of developing nations, Rosaiah told the visiting delegation.

Health Minister Dupka in response said that they have visited Devar Yamjal in the outskirts of the Hyderabad City and were impressed by the health services being provided through 104 mobile services.

The Bhutanese delegation was surprised to note that the corporate hospitals were providing treatment to the poor free of cost under Aarogyasri.

UNHCR Nepal gets new chief

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Kathmandu, Jan 13:  The newly appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Representative in Nepal, Stéphane Jaquemet, presented the Letter of Credentials to the Nepali Deputy Prime Minister cum Foreign Minister of Nepal, Sujata Koirala yesterday.UNHCR Chief

Upon assuming office, Jaquemet said, “I am happy to be in Nepal, such a beautiful and cultured country, and work for one of UNHCR’s largest resettlement operations in the world.”

“We will continue working with the international community and the Governments of Nepal and Bhutan to find solutions for these refugees, including repatriation to Bhutan and resettlement to third countries,” said Jaquemet wrote the statement.

According to a statement issued by the UNHCR, before coming to Nepal, he served as the UNHCR Representative in Lebanon, Beirut. Having spent 17 years with UNHCR, Jaquemet has held a number of senior positions both at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva and in other UNHCR offices, including Indonesia, Togo and Croatia.

UNHCR has said, the Swiss national Jaquemet has a strong legal background, and served as Chief of Protection Capacity Section, Department of International Protection, at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva from 1997 to 2002.

Besides Bhutanese and Tibetans, UNHCR’s work in Nepal also includes providing protection and assistance to around 300 individuals from some 10 countries who have sought asylum in, helping find solutions for stateless people, and facilitating the safe transit of Tibetan new arrivals to a third country.

Since late 2007, UNHCR has helped more than 25,600 refugees from Bhutan to start new lives in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and New Zealand.

Jaquemet has taken his position when the former UHCR Chief in Nepal, Daisy Dell, completed her tenure from July last year.  She had served the UNHCR Nepal starting from January 2007.

Resettled Bhutanese found dead

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Jit Bahadur Pradhan, a Bhutanese resettled in Pittersberg ,USA was found  dead yesterday around 4:30 PM.
According to Bhanu Phuyel, a Bhutanese resettled there, he was spotted  hanging at neighbour’s laundry.
Pradhan, 60, was resettled from Beldangi-II Extension, Sector E-1, hut no 40 on December 2, 2009 whose settlement was sponsored by the Catholic Charity of Pittsburgh.
He was sharing a three bed room apartment at 903 Vermont Avenue, Pittersburg with the family of Om Prakash Chhetri.
His dead body is taken by the police for further investigation. The exact cause of his death is not yet known but according to Phuyel, he had begun to show the sign of depression.
Survived by his wife Kamala Pradhan and children,  Pradhan counts as the second resettled Bhutanese to hang after resettlement in America.
Jan 9: Jit Bahadur Pradhan, a Bhutanese resettled in Pittersberg ,USA was found  dead yesterday around 4:30 am.
According to Bhanu Phuyel, a Bhutanese resettled there, he was spotted  hanging at neighbour’s laundry.
Pradhan, 60, was resettled from Beldangi-II Extension, Sector E-1, hut no 40 on December 2, 2009 whose settlement was sponsored by the Catholic Charity of Pittsburgh.
He was sharing a three bed room apartment at 903 Vermont Avenue, Pittersburg with the family of Om Prakash Chhetri.
His dead body is taken by the police for further investigation. The exact cause of his death is not yet known but according to Phuyel, he had begun to show the sign of depression.
Survived by his wife Kamala Pradhan and children,  Pradhan counts as the second resettled Bhutanese to hang after resettlement in America.
Details to follow.

Bhutan invites Maldives for SAARC Summit

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January 06, 2009: Prime Minister Jigme Thinley has sent invitation to Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed to attend the 16th SAARC Summit to be held in Bhutan.

The letter of invitation was presented to the President by the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ugyen Tshering Wednesday afternoon during a meeting held at the Maldivian President’s Office.

The President thanked Prime Minister Jigme Thinley, and confirmed the acceptance of the invitation.

Discussion, that followed the invitation call, focused on the existing close, friendly relations between the Maldives and Bhutan, as well as on challenges facing SAARC.

Noting the importance of enhancing the role of SAARC through greater cooperation among the member-countries, the Maldivian President said that the SAARC Summit should be more result-oriented.

The President commended King Jigme Khesar for providing the main impetus for political reform in Bhutan.

In response Tshering congratulated President Nasheed for the democratization of the Maldives and expressed confidence that the Maldives would attain greater development and prosperity under the Nasheed’s leadership.

Episode 11 : Farewell to 2009

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Kedar Upreti reads a report from Sanischare followed by Bhutan Coverage of Ichha Poudel wher he reviews the year 2009. There is talk recorded in Goldhap camp in the second part followed by NY 2010 greetings to fellow Bhutanese sent by their frieds fromvarious countries.

Earthquake hits eastern districts again

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Jan 01: An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale shook parts of the eastern Bhutan North East India on Thursday, triggering panic among the people. 

The quake which occurred at 15.58 pm has its epicentre somewhere in eastern Bhutan, around 120 km east from capital Thimphu. There were no reports of injuries to people or damage to property.

This was the second quake in two days and the 34th this year in the region which falls in the highly seismic zone. A quake of similar intensity rocked the region on December 29.

On September 21, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale was felt in the region. It was the biggest quake in the last twenty years.

Bhutan and the seven Northeastern states of India – Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur – are considered by the seismologists as the sixth major earthquake-prone belt in the world.

The region experienced one of the worst earthquakes, measuring 8.7 on the Richter Scale in 1897, that claimed the lives of over 1,600 people.

IMF appreciates Bhutan’s economic performance

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Jan 01: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has commended the strong economic performance of Bhutan and said its interest rates should be appropriately adjusted to that of India to avoid unwarranted pressures on rupee reserves.

At the conclusion of the Article IV Consultation with Bhutan on December 15, the Executive Board of the IMF said its strong economic performance is supported by prudent economic management, firm donor support, and political stability.

Welcoming the successes of the Ninth Plan, including lowering poverty, raising per capita income, and improving social indicators, the IMF Board noted the comprehensive development agenda of the 10th Plan and considered the challenge was to achieve the Plan goals while maintaining economic and financial stability.

Koirala’s funeral scheduled, wife to get job

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BY Yam Kharel, Nashville, Tennessee

Jan 1:  The funeral for late Tikaram Koirala is scheduled for January 2, Saturday at Marshall Donnelly Comp Funeral Home.

Catholic Charities, the resettlement agency helping with the funeral arrangements is further helping to smoothen the upcoming situation of the bereaved family.

The funeral home decided to  consider  the case as  exceptional for this refugee family which helped ease the funeral processing. Gaylord Opryland, Tika’s employer has offered a job to Tika’s wife  promising further help.

Many individual volunteers are working hard to help the family after the tragic incidence in Koirala family. Meanwhile, the Bhutanese Community of Tennessee has expressed its gratitude  to all those  support agencies and individuals.

Tika Koirala,46, a former Bhutanese refugee resettled in last June in Nashville, Tennessee ,was pronounced dead fifteen minutes after the family gave the consent to remove his life support at Vanderbilt Medical Center on December 29, 2009. Koirala was admitted to Trauma unit following the  fatal car crash the same day.

A Toyota Camry driven by Moni Rai that carried three passengers including Koirala was hit by another car speeding from the opposite direction, heading towards I-24 at Haywood Lane.

The other car was driven by an unidentified drunk illegal immigrant, according to the investigating police officer, Herald Burke. The officer further said that the driver is either at the hospital or in jail, watched by another police officer.

Three Bhutanese and an Iranian were returning home after their night shift work at Gaylord Opryland hotel who letter met with the fetal accident. The other three, who sustained minor injuries were discharged the same day from Southern Hills Medical Center after necessary treatment.

Seriously injured Koirala Passes away

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Seriously injured Koirala at ICU. Photo-Arun Dhungel
Seriously injured Koirala in ICU. Photo-Arun Dhungel

Dec 30: Tikaram Koirala, a resettled Bhutanese from Beldangi II extension Sector A-3 , passed away at Vinderbille hospital in Tennesse State of USA at 12 noon local time on  Tuesday.

Koirala, a former sub sector head of A-3 ,was hit by a speedy car from behind while he was returning to his home from work. He was then admitted to the hospital in critical condition due to fracture of ribs and legs.

As per the information provided by his son,Yadhav Koirala, his funeral is likely to be on Saturday while his dead body is still in  hospital.

As known lately, resettled Bhutanese community members have  gathered at Koirala’s house to decid his funeral and the future of his children. Koirala is survived by five children .

He was evicted from Lalai Block under Serbhang district in Bhutan. His parents are still in Bhutan.

By Ichha Poudyel and Yadhav Neopaney


Bhutanese in Germany invite RKD

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Dec 28: Following the latest verdict of an Indian court to allow Rongthong Kinley Dorji to travel anywhere freely, his party cadres and fellow-countrymen in Germany have invited him to Europe.

“We, the DNC members and supporters in Europe, are overwhelmed with the decision,” said Tshring Penjor from Germany,” We’ll make preparations for his visit to Europe.”

According to Penjore, they are working to facilitate Dorji to attend the 13th Human Rights Council meeting in March 2010, where Bhutan is making clarifications on the questions and recommendations tabled earlier this month.

The Bhutanese based in Germany have made such decision at the moment when Tandin Wangdi, a supporter of DNC, received political asylum from the German authority.

Talking to BNS over telephone, Germany-based Durga Giri expressed that Dorji played a crucial role in pressuring the concerned authority in granting asylum to Tandin.

“We must thank the Indian judicial system for providing justice to a Bhutanese freedom fighter,” Giri told BNS.

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