Grand facade, filthy inside
30 September 2009
The building houses the city and the narcotic control offices. Ironically, it is dirty and frequented by drug abusers. Tandin Pem finds out how the NPPF building in Thimphu is in a mess
The big, white building looks grand by the Bhutanese standards and it is spacious inside. But as one enters the building, the first thing that catches one’s eyes is the dirt around.
The building has not been spared by lime stains and spit. It is the new National Pension and Provident Fund (NPPF) commercial building located in Thimphu town. As one enters the building, a message on the wall politely says, “Thank you for not spitting”. But the polite reminder has been splashed all over with deep red doma stains. During monsoon, the big corridor becomes a watery mess.
The building has an underground parking space. During the day, it is put to right use. But in the evening, the space is used for discrete purposes.
“I feel scared to park my car there in the evenings because there is no lighting system and young people hang out there,” said Sonam, a civil servant.
The building has toilets that are locked because they have been handed over to people who have shops and offices in the building. According to an NPPF staff, earlier the toilets were kept open. It became unmanageable when people refused to pay for their use.
After the toilets had been handed over to shopkeepers and offices, visitors started using the parking space to relieve themselves. According to a shopkeeper, the building has become a hangout place for drug abusers. Some of the walls are cracked and others are leaking.
Water taps in the toilets have been broken and rendered useless.
It is ironic that a building where offices of Thimphu City Corporation and Bhutan Narcotic Control Agency are located is filthy and a dangerous hangout place for spoilt youth.
The five-storied building has 42 units out of which 14 are offices and the rest, shops. The Nu 87-million building became operational from May 2008. The NPPF has recruited three sweepers to keep the building clean but it seems that they haven’t been of much help.
The building also has security guards. But they are of little help to keep the building secure. There have been cases where the police intervened.
“We are doing all we can to keep the place clean but, since it is a commercial building, we can’t stop people moving in and out,” said a member of the NPPF management.
Jigme, a shop owner in the building, said the Bhutanese lacked a sense of cleanliness.
“People should learn to use public properties,” he said, adding that one should at least clean the surroundings of one’s building and not expect the government to do everything.
The NPPF building is one of the biggest shopping centres in Thimphu build by the government for commercial purpose.
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I would like the goverment to put in place a sysytem or a law..our contry men really lack civic sense…spitting…peeing…s*****g and a lot more…
China has done it through civic laws..Bhutan has to adopt.THere are thousands of complaints against Bhutanese civic sense….PLEASE BRING A CHANGE
I agree, isntead of stupid smoking ban, meat ban and plastic ban, Bhutan should be focussing on punishing those irresponsible miscreants.
They should fine people who spit doma everywhere, fine people who litter places, fine people who relieve themselves in public spaces.But the above measure can only be done by providing better public toilets, have garbage bin around public spaces, and last not the least, educate people.