Nu 452 million enclave for new ministers in 2008 (REPRODUCTION)
Thimphu, September 23: The first democratically elected prime minister of Bhutan will not have a better place than his official residence to wipe the campaign sweat off his brow.
He can unwind in the multi-gym after a heated debate in the parliament. His children and grandchildren can play around in the only children’s park in town after a rarely used one in Motithang.
His recluse will be a Nu 17.213 million bungalow in a sprawling two-acre compound.
Named ‘Ministers Enclave,’ the housing complex which is coming up in Motitang will have 20 buildings.
A total of 22.4 acres has been allotted for building the entire enclave which includes 10 houses for the elected ministers, five for constitutional post holders, and one each for the chief justice, the national council chairman, the lower house speaker and the opposition leader.
The budget allocation for just the naked buildings is Nu 452 million excluding the cost of furnishing, interiors and landscaping.
“The total cost of the entire enclave after furnishing and landscaping cannot be estimated at the moment since some of the facilities are yet to be approved,” said a spokesperson of the National Housing Development Corporation which has employed four class A contractors, four class B contractors and eight in-house engineers for the project.
The two-storey bungalows will be floored with marbles and wood-paneled in certain rooms and tiled for wet area floors.
Each house will have a chandelier to add a little glamour to the high profile enclave. “The price of the chandeliers will be a maximum of Nu 100,000 each,” said the spokesperson.
A common center in the middle of the enclave is likely to have a multi-purpose hall with an extended lawn. “The hall might include health facilities like a gym, sauna and steam. This has not been finalized at the moment and we are still waiting for approval,” he said.
Adjacent to each bungalow will be a double-storey building which will house the servants’ quarter and a garage underneath. A separate building for security officials is also being constructed.
The boundary of the enclave wall consists of barbed wires on the outside, bricked wall inside and a footpath in the middle of the two for the patrolling team.
The two entrances to the enclave, one from upper Motithang and the other one from Motithang market area will be heavily guarded.
Other facilities in the enclave include a children’s park with a fountain, an eco-friendly in-house sewerage treatment plant, proper parking and streetlights. Outdoor play area and area for recreational activities is also in the plan.
Scheduled to be ready by March 2008, the work for the complex started in April this year.
“The contractors are serious and we are very much committed to this high profile project,” said P.D. Wangdi, the Project Manager.
The in house design of the bungalows was guided by the caretaker prime minister, Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji, and the former agriculture minister, Sangay Ngedup.
(Source: Bhutan Times weekly)