Procurement compliance course in Gaeddu college

A five-day Certificate in Procurement Compliance (CPC) course, which began from Monday in Gaeddu College of Business Studies by resource persons from the finance ministry's public procurement policy division (PPPD) has come to an end today.

The course delivered by Peter James, project director of institutional capacity building project for procurement (ICBPP) with the PPPD and Mr. Leki Tshering, Procurement Programme officer to PPPD was based on the Procurement Rules and Regulations, 2009 of the Royal Government of Bhutan. They presented about the principles and objectives of government procurement: the need to get necessary goods, services and works of right quality at the right price, at the the right time and in a fair and transparent manner.

The participants felt that the course was designed in a way that would inevitably make them aware of and understand the growing importance of public procurement especially when the country is loosing huge amount of the budget while procuring goods and services owing to the lack of professional procurement personnel and stakeholders not complying with procurement rules and regulations. In the 9th FYP alone, 45 percent of the total budget kept for the procurement was found wasted according to Anti-corruption commission's finding.
The good procurement process is necessary in a country like Bhutan which depends on other donor countries for funds.

And such courses will be even more relevant to the business students who will become stakeholders to the procurement agency some day. The same procurement compliance course was delivered to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology last January. And there is a plan that this CPC will be institutionalised at Royal Institute of Management soon. It was launched in May 2010.

All the final year students and national faculty of the college took part in this short course. They will be awarded the certificate.

note: will make some changes if necessary,,,,, i will go to sleep now.

I did not want to become an Army Officer

(ambition of a class PP student)

When I was young, young as a primary student, I always wanted to become a professional driver (Truck driver). I would simply feel the charm of those truckers who ferried gypsum from Pemagatshel to Samdrup Jongkhar then. Those were the days I would complain of having to go to the school. Now, more than a decade after, I still remember my friends who would say: " If you can become a truck driver, I will never ask for a lift"; and that was the deal.





 One night (last winter vacation),while I was narrating a bed-time stories to my six-year old nephew, he suddenly asked me " Ahang nga lu Tropdha chi ngo nag wai-could you buy a playing gun for me please?. I asked "what for?" pretending not understanding his intention. But I was amazed, really surprised to hear: " Nga Shuma Magmi Dasho Beni- I want to become an Army Officer when i grow up." And that was the moment I began to compare and contrast with him; I could only imagine the contrasting world of ours than having the similarities ( came out of the same bloodline).

At his age, I was totally unaware of these: "Tom and Jerry"," Mr. Bean", Takeshis's castle", oh!, the list is really very long. I and my friends played mud, created torma (sculptor), pretended to conduct rituals; and we often used to play hide-and-seek in bushes. But my nephew (and children of his age) have many hobbies: playing with toys, drawing with sketch pens,playing video games and many more that i did not have. It is not even a generation between us, but things seem to change so fast.

Oh! Yes! I see enough reasons in his AMBITION-I salute him, my dearest nephew!

Did Khegpas really exist?

Sometime back, not so long, we have been hit by the rumours of "Khegpa", and our rural folks were especially a hardest-hit chunk. Then there was a Public notification (from Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs)through the home radio and television channels assuring that there were no dangerous thugs; the ministry warned if someone was found exaggerating the situation, he/she would be punishable. Somehow, then things have settled, but a case or two on the "missing person" was notified again.

And now, it is a little clue to me that Khegpa really did not exist; I am surprised to know that there are cases where Bhutanese are "kidnapped" not to be buried alive at the construction sites of Hydro-power projects. The crime branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered a "kidnapped and sold" Bhutanese boy last Thursday in Srinagar. It was said that the search began after the parents had complained to the Indian external affairs ministry that their son had been kidnapped (and sold) to a local in Srinagar. But the good news is that the boy will be handed over to his parents through "diplomatic channels". This may be their luck but what would happen if such incidences go unnoticed?

According to the statement given by the crime branch, it seems to us that some young girls and boys (of neighbouring countries Nepal and Bhutan) are hired (by this valley, Srinagar) for employing them in domestic and other business related activities. Is this trend good for Bhutan, if at all the situation is true?. At this point, I realise that I was totally wrong-I thought it was actually some of the Bhutanese who hire some young girls for baby sitting from the neighbouring towns of India which is stopping with new regulations now. It only seems otherwise to me now.

It may be good to see Bhutanese working in any part of the world provided they follow diplomatic procedures. This will only lead to the mutual benefits and security ( both to countries and individuals).

Note: This article is written based on the news article "Sold" Bhutanese boy recovered in Kashmir . And there is little chance that we can follow the link to read this article since the news is updated hourly.

The following is one of the news articles regarding the kidnapped boy retrieved from http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-145075.html


News
Bhutan's kidnapped boy found in Kashmir

Bhutan's kidnapped boy found in Kashmir
India Blooms News Service


Srinagar, Feb 11 (IBNS) A Bhutanese boy, who had been rescued after being kidnapped and sold to a Kashmiri man, will be repatriated soon, according to Jammu and Kashmir Police.

J&K's crime branch has taken the custody of Sonum, who was rescued from Mohammad Iqbal Zahgeer.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Govt of India, had informed the J & K authorities about the Bhutanese missing boy after his parents lodged a report with the Indian Government that their son had been kidnapped and sold to a man in Srinagar.

The J&K police swung into action after an Interpol notice that the boy was kidnapped by a man in West Bengal and sold in Kashmir.

The Crime Branch in a quick action action and recovered the boy from the premises of Mohammad Iqbal Zahgeer at Gosiya Colony Khanyar, Srinagar. Zahgeer claimed that he hired the boy from an agent, identified as Konul Bashikarma of West Bengal.

The J&K police said the boy shall be handed over to his parents through the diplomatic channels. However, it is unclear when the boy was kidnapped and sold.

The people of valley over the last few years have developed a tendency of hiring young foreign boys and girls particularly from Nepal and Bhutan and then employing them in domestic and other business related activities with out actually knowing their backgrounds.

"This is dangerous trend and many people will land in unnecessary trouble," the police said. Many foreign youngsters are kidnapped from their respective places and subsequently pushed into the Valley by Human traffickers against monetary considerations.

The story of Snow White

I got this piece of paper while i was trying to read a newspaper which had been dumped in a garbage; i was curious to read the paper because its colourful cover-page was fluttering in a slow wind-But i was not scavenging anyway!!!

And i was more than interested to read this story: the story written by, may be a class-three student. Wow!!! it really interested me. People! Spare just a few seconds and appreciate a-little-talent she has!!!

(Story written by, may be a student of class ii or iii)

And thus the year hasbegun

I woke up to the tune of my alarm; almost seven and cold-it was Sunday morning, 1 January, 2011. Opened my cell-phone, saw dozen of new text messages (in the inbox) all wishing me good luck.

 I began the day with lighting a butter lamp; after daily-water-offering chore, Standing in front of statues (kept inside alter), palms together attached to my chest like a real worshiper, eyes closed, I bade farewell to the year that had been significant in many ways; I was grateful for the success I had had and the milestone I had ever achieved and thus my prayer: - may all good things happen to us all once again, more good things this year. May each passing day bring peace to every heart and prosperity to every family; let success overcome our failures, innovation rule indolence, awareness win over ignorance… wishes continued.

And then I fetched a book (the one I bought a day before from DSB enterprise, Thimphu)   WHAT MAKES YOU not A BUDDHIST by Dzongsar Jamyang Khentse-I began reading; I began my new year.