The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The poll day for the Third Thromde Election for Samdrupjongkhar is on 22 December, along with the Local Government (LG) Elections. There are two new candidates vying for the post of Samdrupjongkhar Thrompon.
Ugyen Wangchuk
Ugyen Wangchuk, 34, from Kepsi demkhong has a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from India. He worked as a teacher for four years, and an administrative officer for five years before making the decision to run for the post of Thrompon.
He stated that after years of working with the youth and communities, he is confident, in his ability, to address community issues, create a more vibrant and equitable local economy, and bring positive changes to the communities.
Highlighting on some of his pledges, he asserted that access to safe drinking water is not an option in the 21st Century, but rather a basic necessity and source of survival, and especially so during the COVID-19 pandemic when frequent hand washing is important.
“The main cause is the inability to tap the actual quantum despite vast drawing capacity from existing water sources. Immediate solutions to the problems include increasing intake from the same sources, developing distribution channels with innovative ideas, and constructing additional reservoirs,” he said.
He also said that the Population and Housing Census of Bhutan (PHCB) recorded the overall unemployment rate in Samdrupjongkhar Thromde at 3.2 percent, and higher unemployment rate for women at 6 percent compared to 2.2 percent for men. Ugyen Wangchuk’s pledge is to focus on creating employment opportunities and providing income generating avenues for the urban youth and Thromde population.
“Promoting Cottage and Small Industries and encouraging local production of CSI products, is a realistic option to support employment,” he said.
He added that he plans to develop service delivery standards, focusing on reducing service delivery time and implement it to improve public service delivery of Thromde, and address the persistent problems of increasing potholes, flooding and blockage of drainage systems.
Thinley Namgay
Thinley Namgay, 39, from Samdrupgatshel demkhong has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and has served as a Thromde Tshogpa of Samdrupgatshel demkhong for three years before deciding to contest for Thrompon post. He has also served as a Bhutan Chamber for Commerce and Industry (BCCI) representative of Samdrupjongkhar for two years.
He stated that he decided to run for the post of Thrompon since there are many developmental activities that are extremely important and necessary for people, during these difficult pandemic times.
“As a result, I felt compelled to seize this opportunity in order to bring about these positive changes for the people of Thromde,” he explained.
He pledges that he will resolve the drinking water shortages in the locality by exploring reliable water sources. “At the moment, there are many issues that require immediate attention, and one of the genuine issues that exist right now is a lack of safe drinking water in the Thromde area. Similarly, establishing CCTV in the Thromde area and areas near the border has become critical to closely monitor people’s movement during these pandemic times,” he said.
He stated that since agriculture and livestock products support approximately 50 percent of the people in the Thromde, he would propose a separate budget for agriculture and livestock and assist them in selling their products.
He also promised to promote Dewathang for tourism, and Samdrupjongkhar as a business center for the eastern region, citing the National Assembly’s approval of regional tourists’ entry.
He added, “I pray with the completion of the election, the people of my constituency be the winner and witness unprecedented development and prosperity.”
