EDO's challenges in Samdrup Jongkhar

Ever since I am here in Samdrup Jongkhar, a day has not gone by without me thinking about the economic
development activities in the Dzongkhag.

But the challenge here is that people are independent and one more step ahead of me. They are giving me tough competition.

The Dzongkhag is known for its mass production of ginger. Hence, one feasible CSI is a ginger factory to produce ginger oil and ginger powder. So thought, I shared it with one of my friends. But I was awestruck completely when he said, “Bro! There is a ginger factory in the upper Samdrup Jongkhar town”. Dang! How unlucky.

I cannot say if it is due to an industrial park here in SJ, but people are well informed about the business.

One evening, I went to the supermarket in search of opportunities for CSI establishment from the locally available resources. My eye caught a dark yellow package, hung from the rope. Mesmerized, I asked the shopkeeper. She told me, “It is ‘Haldi’, - original! For 30”.

“The farmer is trying the market”. She added. I got, whaaaat! So offended, I internalized, what I am here for?

Next, it was in a cool evening. I was cuddling cool air when I met a youth. He was talking about cold storage. I went, holy rabies! SJ people can also read people’s minds. Wow! Wow! Bro, that is my plan? I shouted inside my head. But, outside, I smiled and said, “Please, let me know if EDO can be of any help”.

In a Dzongkhang canteen, with my favorite companion, environment sir, we were sipping coffee. We were talking about policy, government, and development in Bhutan. We were doing a free review. In between, he said that there is a plan to introduce boating in SJ River for tourists by some private individuals. I said, No..No ...No, I was thinking this in Ngera Ama chu in Samdrupcholing- EDO has the full authority to execute, not any private individual. But, I nodded to sir and said “holy good”.

So sick, I am on the chair, thinking and thinking and thinking

And now, it is almost a year.