BJR-Final
BJR-Final
BJR-Final
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Q &<br />
Up-Close A<br />
October - december, 2014<br />
What October was about<br />
Corruption and hydropower were<br />
staples among the country’s various<br />
news organisations in October.<br />
Court cases, particularly accusations<br />
and rebuttals between the<br />
state prosecutor and former councillor<br />
Chang Ugyen saw detailed<br />
coverage in the Bhutanese news<br />
media. The case pertained to alleged<br />
illegal transfer of government<br />
land into private thrams.<br />
The ensuing court case that led<br />
to the subsequent arrest and detention<br />
of former Gup Naku and the<br />
newly appointed Bhutan Telecom<br />
chief executive officer Tshewang<br />
Gyeltshen also made headlines.<br />
National broadcaster Bhutan<br />
Broadcasting Service (BBS) aired<br />
regular updates on the developments<br />
of these alleged<br />
corruption cases and about<br />
each of the different people<br />
arrested.<br />
Daily newspaper Kuensel<br />
also carried regular updates<br />
on the case, a chronology of<br />
events they appeared like<br />
though.<br />
The other court case that<br />
grabbed media attention was<br />
the opposition party, Druk<br />
Phuensum Tshogpa taking<br />
National Environment Commission<br />
advisor Dasho Paljor<br />
J Dorji to court over his<br />
comment on social media.<br />
The latter had accused the<br />
opposition of ‘robbing the<br />
nation blind’ when they were<br />
in the government. The<br />
involvement of high profile<br />
Bhutanese and the element<br />
of corruption, controversy<br />
wrapped in a pinch of ‘politicisation’<br />
provided enough<br />
fodder for the news media.<br />
Corruption aside, developments<br />
in the hydropower sector<br />
also received regular coverage. The<br />
Indian government re-looking and<br />
later withdrawing support for three<br />
of the 10 mega hydropower projects,<br />
which make up the country’s<br />
10,000MW by 2020 dream was<br />
one. The other significant one was<br />
Dagachhu hydropower project facing<br />
an unexpected setback on the<br />
eve of its grand launch.<br />
Most hydropower stories already<br />
covered by daily news media<br />
and as a weekly paper, The Bhutanese<br />
felt the pressure to provide<br />
more to its reader, which it did so<br />
by splashing on the front, what<br />
it calls an exclusive coverage of a<br />
controversial, again involving high<br />
ENERTIA<br />
BHEL<br />
profile Bhutanese, in the sector.<br />
While the story was picked from<br />
an Indian journal, ENERTIA, the<br />
newspaper carried several stories<br />
of Sangay Wangchuk of Bhutan<br />
Ventures Trading (BVT) entering<br />
into an agreement with Bharat<br />
Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)<br />
to receive commission, long before<br />
tenders for Punatsangchhu II and<br />
Mangdechhu were floated.<br />
While pursuing and writing<br />
diverse stories to cater to as diverse<br />
a taste among readers is welcome,<br />
to inject opinions of the newspaper<br />
does not sit well with some of<br />
the most basic tenets journalism<br />
subscribes to. A paper carries the<br />
responsibility of providing news in<br />
Court cases<br />
Hydropower<br />
Chang Ugyen<br />
Dasho Benji<br />
Human-Wildlife Conflict<br />
Gup Naku<br />
BVT<br />
Thrams<br />
Dagachhu<br />
Corruption<br />
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