Drayang owners and employees unhappy with government’s decision

The executive order from the government on ceasing of operation of Drayangs has left drayang owners and employees disheartened and worried after losing their livelihoods. Most owners are also worried about paying back their debts.

The government has decided to pay a one-time compensation. The drayang owners who have retained their drayang until the date of issuance of the executive order shall be provided with Nu 1.5 million (mn), and for owners who surrendered their rented space in 2020, Nu 1 mn shall be provided.

Drayang owners and employees are not happy with the compensation.  As per the drayang employees, many of them used to earn minimum Nu 30,000 a month. Further, they say their image has been tarnished.

They have shared that the closure would have lots of consequences and some may indulge in wrong doing.

President of Druk Drayang Association, Kelzang Phuntsho, said that they had many discussions, whereby the executive order came out totally different to the discussions. Moreover, the association is not happy with the compensation that the government has decided to provide, he said.

He said, “The government had initially decided to compensate us on the capital investment, and also on the house rents. However, it did not happen according to what they have said.”

The total investments on drayangs come to around Nu 9.5 mn, he said, what the government has decided to pay them is not even compensation. The compensation amount, Nu 1 mn is not enough to even pay the rent.

To calculate, he said that each drayang employee is entitled to Nu 250,000 compensation, and the drayang owners are expecting the government help to pay the rents.

“We have lost hope, and we are tired of appealing to the government. Appealing to the court would rather be time consuming. We are offered with an option to switch our business to club, discotheque and karaoke,” he added.

If allowed they want to convert to club model, like Thimphu and Paro clubs, whereby they need not have to incur additional expenditure. They are discussing on how to employ and provide better opportunities to their employees.

“The Drayangs were doing absolutely well with new various reforms in place, the mindset of the people was also changing, and the acceptance from the society was coming into play, but everything has shattered in just a blink of an eye,” he said.

Owner of Jigdrel Drayang, Dechen Wangmo, said, “If we are to close, they should not issue us the license, in the first place. I feel tortured, at the moment. I am not sure what the government is doing.”

She has spent around Nu 1 mn to make the drayang operable. She could operate the drayang for around two years before the pandemic, she said, adding that the venture was a complete loss for her.

She also claimed that she gave advance payments to her staff, which she has to bear as a loss since she does not find it appropriate to ask back the money under the current situation.

“I have submitted an estimated cost of Nu 3.6 mn to government. I have 18 staff including three male employees, and they all come from humble background that they would have tough time sustaining. I wish if all the losses that we have incurred can be considered with the closure of drayang,” she added.

A 24-year-old drayang employee for the last 6 years, Kinley Peldon, said that she is the sole breadwinner in her family consisting of a partially blind mother, siblings and her 6-year-old son.

“Everything was going well until the day we had to temporarily close the drayang due to the pandemic. I have lived with a hope, however, I feel shattered with the government’s decision,” she said.

She said she has no educational background and is a divorcee, whereby she feels that it would be hard for her to find other jobs to make a living.

She used to earn Nu 15,000 to Nu 20,000 a month, which would be enough to look after her whole family.

“The government seems to blame the drayang employees for having set a wrong image in the society,” she said, adding that they have worked hard for their living.

Another drayang employee, Rinchen Lhamo, 26, said, “Working in drayang was the only option I had to make a living, and now, I feel that the only opportunity I had has been taken away forcefully.”

She said she was hopeful that Drayangs would open soon with certain reforms, but the news of the closure of drayang was devastating.

“Instead of helping our families, we have now become dependents, which is disheartening,” she said.

She said the drayang employees will not get better opportunities through the government’s training intervention. However, if government is ready to pay them the same salary then they would take up a job suggested by the government.

“All the entertainment centers would have one or two bad incidences, but that should not force government to take such a huge decision,” she said.

33-year-old Sangay Wangdi, who has worked in drayang for 13 years, said that the government should close all the entertainment centers, as there is no difference from a drayang.

The President of Drayangs at Paro, Kinga Norbu, shared that he is okay with the decisions made by the government, and that he will not go against the decision. He has agreed with the government reasoning during the numerous meetings held with the Prime Minister.

He said he is grateful that the government is ready to compensate the owners, adding that the owners expect to get Nu 3 mn and above. Some must have given the correct estimation while some much have submitted fake estimation taking advantage of the situation, he added.

The employees can always look for other alternatives, he said.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader MP Dorji Wangdi shared, “The government did not honor the words that they have been giving for the past one and a half year. Lyonchhen has always said that they would open the Drayangs with various SOP reforms put in place.”

On the contrary, the government has banned the operation of drayang instead of bringing in the reforms. The government should have given them the chance to operate with new SOPs, and if that does not work then it would be fine to close, he said.

 “Also, I feel that the compensation to the owners is not adequate,” he added.

There are 60 Drayangs with more than 900 employees across the country.