Thimphu and Phuentsholing are set for a period of significant urban transformation. The newly elected Thrompons have released detailed manifestos to guide their respective cities.
Ugyen Dorji begins his second term as Thimphu Thrompon with a focus on resilience and transparency. Deepen Ghalley takes the lead in Phuentsholing with a vision for pride, growth, and unity. Both Thrompons emphasize the need for modernized infrastructure and improved public service delivery.
In the capital city, Ugyen Dorji aims to create an inclusive and equitable urban environment. Waste management is a top priority for his second term. He plans to introduce daily waste collection services across the city.
Two new drop-off centres will be constructed to manage refuse better. He also intends to install 100 CCTV cameras at critical locations to monitor waste disposal.
Public transportation in Thimphu will see major changes under his leadership. New buses will be introduced on secondary and feeder roads. These routes will connect directly to the main trunk lines.
He plans to add more buses to the existing fleet to reduce waiting times for commuters. Ten new bus shelters and a pedestrian bridge are also in the works.
Ugyen Dorji is also focusing on the city’s essential utilities and governance. He intends to construct two new water treatment plants for the residents. The water supply network in the city core will be revamped to ensure reliability. He aims to reduce non-revenue water to 25 percent through modern technology.
A new City Hall will be built to centralize municipal functions. He also plans to establish service offices within walkable distances for better accessibility.
In a recent interview, Ugyen Dorji said that while problems are a natural aspect everywhere, he will seek to “improve existing public services and address issues such as infrastructural and pedestrian problems like resolving road issues, parking and improving pedestrian features such as city bus services, effective footpaths and overhead bridges.”
He added that he will carry his duties with transparency in mind, saying “Transparency is an important aspect for the sharing of information and letting the public know about the works of the Thromde and I will seek to uphold it.”
Phuentsholing’s Deepen Ghalley is focusing on the city’s role as Bhutan’s primary economic gateway. He intends to work closely with agencies to remove bottlenecks in cross-border trade.
“My immediate focus is on upgrading water treatment and distribution, improving sewage and stormwater systems to curb flooding, and repairing essential infrastructure like streetlights and roads. I also plan to conduct a thorough financial review to redirect underutilized municipal funds toward urgent community projects, while streamlining digital services to eliminate bureaucratic delays,” he said.
His administration will review the 13th Five-Year Plan to prioritize high-impact projects. This includes urgent disaster risk mitigation in areas like the Toorsa land pooling area.
He also plans to fast-track pending land pooling implementations across all six demkhongs.
Infrastructure development is a key pillar of Deepen Ghalley’s strategy for the border town. He proposes new bypass roads and critical links around the hospital and Pekarzing. Overhead utility lines will be shifted underground to improve the city’s aesthetics and safety.
He also plans to expand city bus services and parking facilities in all communities. Toorsa will see the development of new warehousing to support trade efficiency.
Deepen Ghalley is also prioritizing the daily needs of Phuentsholing residents. He will introduce digital water metering systems for accurate billing and leak detection. The water supply systems at Om Chu, Amo Chu, and Barsa Chu will be strengthened. New reservoir tanks will be constructed for better storage and distribution. He also plans to develop housing in Pasakha along with localized clinics and childcare centers.
“My long-term vision is a self-sustaining, people-centered Phuentsholing. My core targets are to ensure reliable essential services, balance urban growth between the core town and expanding areas, and create a more transparent, future-ready city where development is felt by every resident,” he said.
Both Mayors are committed to leveraging technology for better governance. In Thimphu, Ugyen Dorji will enhance digital payment systems for municipal services. He also plans to outsource services like drawing approvals to speed up the process.
In Phuentsholing, Deepen Ghalley aims to expand online municipal services to reduce the need for office visits. He also intends to enhance city security through CCTV installations under a Safe City initiative.
These ambitious plans mark a new chapter for Bhutan’s most vital urban centers.
Facts Only
* Ugyen Dorji begins his second term as Thimphu Thrompon with a focus on resilience and transparency.
* Waste management priority for Thimphu includes introducing daily waste collection services across the city.
* Two new drop-off centers will be constructed to manage refuse in Thimphu.
* 100 CCTV cameras are planned for installation at critical locations to monitor waste disposal in Thimphu.
* New buses will be introduced on secondary and feeder roads connecting to main trunk lines in Thimphu.
* The existing bus fleet in Thimphu will be expanded to reduce commuter waiting times.
* Ten new bus shelters and a pedestrian bridge are planned for Thimphu.
* Two new water treatment plants are planned for Phuentsholing residents.
* The water supply network in the Thimphu city core will be revamped.
* Non-revenue water aims to be reduced to 25 percent through modern technology in Thimphu.
* A new City Hall will be built to centralize municipal functions in Thimphu.
* Deepen Ghalley intends to upgrade water treatment and distribution, improve sewage and stormwater systems, and repair streetlights and roads in Phuentsholing.
* A financial review is planned to redirect municipal funds and streamline digital services in Phuentsholing.
* New bypass roads and critical links are proposed around the hospital and Pekarzing in Phuentsholing.
* Digital water metering systems will be introduced for accurate billing and leak detection in Phuentsholing.
Executive Summary
The Thimphu Thrompon, Ugyen Dorji, will focus his second term on resilience and transparency, prioritizing waste management by introducing daily collection services and constructing two new refuse drop-off centers, along with installing 100 CCTV cameras for monitoring disposal. Public transportation in Thimphu will involve introducing new buses on secondary roads connecting to trunk lines and expanding the fleet, alongside building ten new bus shelters and a pedestrian bridge. Ugyen Dorji plans to construct two new water treatment plants, revamp the city core's water supply network, reduce non-revenue water to 25 percent using modern technology, and build a new City Hall to centralize municipal functions. His goals include improving public services by resolving infrastructure issues like road problems, parking, footpaths, and bus services, while committing to transparency in governance.
Deepen Ghalley, the Phuentsholing Thrompon, intends to focus on the city’s role as Bhutan’s economic gateway by addressing cross-border trade bottlenecks through collaboration with agencies. His immediate focus areas include upgrading water treatment and distribution, improving sewage and stormwater systems to prevent flooding, and repairing essential infrastructure like roads and streetlights. He plans to streamline municipal finances by conducting a financial review and reducing bureaucratic delays by streamlining digital services. Infrastructure strategy involves new bypass roads and utility line relocation, expansion of bus services and parking, and developing warehousing in Toorsa. Furthermore, he will introduce digital water metering systems for billing, strengthen water supply systems, construct new reservoir tanks, and develop housing and local services in Pasakha.
Full Take
The dual focus on infrastructural modernization and service delivery suggests a systemic recognition that current operational structures are inadequate for managing the growth and economic role of both urban centers. In Thimphu, the emphasis on waste management via daily collection and technological surveillance (CCTV) signals a shift from reactive maintenance to proactive, technologically managed civic operations. The integration of public transport improvements—creating direct links and enhancing shelters—suggests an acknowledgment that physical infrastructure alone is insufficient; connectivity and pedestrian experience are central to quality of life, aligning with the Thrompon's stated goal of addressing infrastructural problems like road issues and footpaths.
Phuentsholing’s strategy emphasizes leveraging its role as a trade gateway by focusing on cross-border efficiency alongside core infrastructure repair (water, sewage, roads). This dual approach implies that economic activity is intrinsically linked to physical stability; bottlenecks in trade cannot be resolved without concurrent improvements in essential utilities and flood mitigation. The commitment to financial review and streamlining bureaucracy suggests an understanding that governance inefficiencies are a significant drag on development potential.
The pattern emerging is a synchronized push toward 'future-readiness' across both cities, driven by the principle of transparency, which Ugyen Dorji explicitly champions. This pursuit of modernization is not merely about installing new physical assets but about redefining public interaction—through accessible services, reliable utilities, and transparent data sharing. The implication is that true urban transformation requires aligning hard infrastructure development with the social contract of equitable service delivery and open governance. The underlying question for this trajectory is whether the increased focus on technology (CCTV, digital metering) and physical construction (new plants, roads) will translate into genuinely felt improvements for every resident, or if they risk becoming siloed projects that fail to address deeper socio-economic imbalances between the core and expanding areas.