Lesson to Bhutanese Contractors and Engineers.

Capturing Osama Bin Lhaden had been the main objective of the United States of America since the presidency of Bill Clinton. After the vigorous search he was finally captured and killed brutally by American soldiers. Anyway, the history was made. But, this is not what I wanted to write here. 

I wanted to share two pertinent concerns. First is QUALITY and the second is WORK ETHICS. 

Like how ambitiously America have chased and killed Bin Lhaden, we also need to end this war of quality work and work ethics. Honestly, I don't like the way our contractors perform their work. They are morally and ethically very poor at works. They all work for profit and never work for betterment of the country, forget about providing quality service. 

When was the last time we came before time for our work? Rather, we don't mind to come late for work and day starts with heavy grumble and complain of this and that. We bellyache knowingly or unknowingly for every bits of work responsibility given to us. This is absolutely horrible for a tiny Buddhist nation. With all such poor mentality we can never build secure, stronger and stable nation in any length of time. Which mean we need to plan and send our people back to school for serious lessons on ownership, sense of belonging and responsible citizen. 

My concern is actually not unique and different but worth million dollars. I raise this voice because I love my country like anyone of you. I am saying with our existing work morale, I could see the future of our country in danger. It is sickening every moment with more and more junkie people around. When the population is still manageable, government must plan to eliminate this hide-and-seek game to end from the base through the system of strict monitoring services is in place. We can do it. 

What are some of the corrective method our government is doing to tackle this problem? Why the road that was built few days before has to form crack and cleft? Why the government buildings are poorly built? Why every time the government buildings has to be the victim of wears and tears within few months? Where is the actual lapses –is it the government or engineers or contractors? 

Now it is time to sort it out sincerely. I do not mean our contractors cannot make profit from their work. It is in their hand and it is their right to make any level of profit. But, the choice of their profit shouldn't compromise the quality work done and timely completion of the work. Honestly, I don't like the way they perform their work, ethically very poor. What is our site supervising engineers doing? 

We still do not have clean and healthy toilets in place. But, we never forget to talk about Rocket Science and Artificial Intelligence. 

Footsteps that belongs to 1958 structure.

I have a very interesting fact to share here. It was somewhere in the mid-October I had Aue, Passu the owner of Bhutan Toilet Organization as a guest from capital city. He came to assist my SkyHydrant water filter project that come from Rotary Club of Thimphu, funded by Disaster Aid Australia. The school that I am working is one of the very fine and in fact very old education institution in the country. I feel proud to be in this school. According to some oral history, it says the design of the present Zhemgang CS was indeed copied from Late Father Mackey, a Canadian Jesuit Priest who was responsible for establishing the modern education system in Bhutan. I find the school structure is still strong, firm and beautifully laid. If given a bidding choice, it would fetch the highest bid price because it is still free from crack and cleft. In whole of the Zhemgang Dzongkhag, it is one of the finest and the oldest structure. Of all, I often fall in love with the building design which is very cool.

No sooner had my brief outline of the school was ended than he asked me about the conditions of the footsteps. Footsteps! I was confused. Initially I wasn't sure about his actual intention for asking me this particular question. I told him, it's there, its fine. To better authenticate I took him to the footsteps that lead to the main block. Perhaps, to my utter surprise he told me, isn't that footsteps shining. Not even a single crack and cleft was formed long these many years. I know many dignitaries would have walked across these footsteps and countless engineers may have made from the same building. But, not concern like Aue, Passu did. Had it been the modern buildings, crafty contractors and lousy engineers, the fate of this footsteps might have ended differently. It would have definitely stand for multiple fracture and repairs. There are still many unlearn lessons our people, contractors, engineers and policy makers have to learn from the Late Mackey's buildings. The present schools like Punakha CS, Drugyal CS, Jigme Shurabling CS, Sherabtse College and Damphu CS are the copy of Late Mackey's building structure. The good thing about these building structures are earth quack resistance and corrupt free structure. We need such contractors, contractors of my Grand Father's time. Perhaps, corruption wasn't there. They don't know how to prepare fake bills and eat money. Had it been in the hands of present contractors, this buildings would have gone into ashes and ruins. 

In the same compound, there are some modern buildings. Designed and built by our engineers. Looking at its face, it was built not many years far. But, the way it appears is not so pleasing. It has torn apart into multiple injuries, the doors and the walls are gone –beyond repairs. The footsteps that stand between the two buildings have formed multiple crack. It isn't shining like the footsteps of the old structure. The only difference is that the contractors are different but the same building materials were used. The actual difference is the way it was made. In the first case the strict monitoring, right proposition of cement and other materials was used and contractors wasn't unkind. In latter case, they have breached all the rules of the country. 

Modern footsteps built not very far.

Shapeless and shameless footsteps.  

This is crazy footsteps.

This is how footsteps in government 
land looks like.   

This is completely a failure of lousy supervising engineers and greedy contractors. The main failures comes from our lawmakers. They have failed terribly. But, aren't we failing together?

Pelden Drukpa Gyelo...

This article is completely a personal views and it do not intend to defame anyone.