History
History of Gelephu dates back to 1960s when primitive settlement was shifted from the banks ofPlanning area
Gelephu Thromde has 11.52 km2 planning boundary area which can be increased further. It has 6 sub zones (Demkhong) listed as 1. Trashiling, 2. Namkhaling, 3. Jampeling, 4. Rabtengling, 5. Samdrupling, 6. Sonam Gatsel. Core market area is very close to the Indo-Bhutan border. Ashish Kumar Chauhan is also one of the Urban Planner while delineating the boundaries of Industrial Area Plan and Local Area Plan 4 & 5. Gelephu is located at about 30 km to the east of Sarpang, the Dzongkhag Headquarters. Though,Urban recreational park
One of the main themes of Gelephu urban development is to interlink open-green spaces for use as recreation, sports, walking, cycling, exercising and play gardens. Open space systems have become an integral part of town planning as a result of the intense demand for outdoor recreation and a growing concern for conservation. Open spaces have a crucial role in the urban life, since they act as breathing spaces in the dense urban fabric, or a place of recreation and retreat for the urban population. Location: Samdrupling Demkhong adjacent to Royal Boulevard Road (NH-4) Area: 60 Acres Existing Plantation: Teak Proposed Plantation: Evergreen trees with existing teak Proposed Activity: Recreational ParkProposed Park
The vegetation for Gelephu region could be classified as tropical forest with some broadleaf evergreen vegetation. Having the intense rainfall, the region is dominated by hard wood trees and cash crops like areca nut (Domashing). The thick teak vegetation along the Gelephu-Trongsa Highway located near Sheittikhare Chhu provides a prime scope for conservation and economic generation if developed through an integrated approach.Trade and commerce
Location of Gelephu is quite favorable for cross-border trade between India and Bhutan. Indo-Bhutan Royal entrance gate is opening a vast opportunity for the business and development between the two countries. From that Indo-Bhutan border gate Bongaigaon, the sixth largest city of Assam, emerging as business node for the economics affairs i.e. business dealing & logistic supports is 78 km away.Airport
(for a complete entry, see Gelephu Airport) An Airport in Gelephu was initially planned in the early 2000s. The plan faced major obstacles in construction, including a lack of willing contractors to bid on the project. Work finally began in July 2011, with a completion date set for the end of April 2012. Gelephu's runway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Jigme Thinley ( dz, འཇིགས་མེད་འོད་ཟེར་འཕྲིན་ལས་) on 25 October 2012 but has yet to become certified for operation. There are currently no buildings at the airport and it is accessed by a gravel road.Army Welfare Project (AWP)
Bhutan's modern liquor industry was established in 1976 with the AWP as the only distillery manufacturing high quality potable liquor in Bhutan. AWP is a company incorporated under the Companies Act of the Kingdom of Bhutan mainly in the business of bottling a range of alcoholic beverages such as whisky, rum, gin, and many more drinks. The AWP is constantly growing its portfolio of brands from blended whiskies to brandy and white spirits to cater the needs of a wide variety of customers particularly in the huge Indian market and to expand its market base internationally. AWP has its Head Office in Phuentsholing, Bhutan. The AWP has strong presence with more than 18 well-established brands in the liquor market. The main strengths of AWP today lies in its in-house technical expertise (blend development) and good quality natural spring water which is a key input in the production of liquor products. AWP's commitment to environment protection, Bhutan's green credentials and its ambience for maturing high quality spirits are some of the strengths for developing premium brands in the region and achieve organic growth in this category. Presently AWP Gelephu has around 18.44 acre area which include the water treatment plant and manufacturing unit and a guest house. Building AWP brand portfolio in emerging markets and divesting in non-alcoholic products are key strategic objectives.Services
Construction Development Corporation Limited is a Public Sector Company with 100% shares owned by the Royal Government of Bhutan. After the merger of Gelephu workshop to Hesothangkha in 1996-1997 and till recently, maintenance of its huge workshop structure and compound was neglected and it did not receive that much importance and priority to maintaining operation in the south. The facilities and workshop structure/buildings are currently in a dilapidated condition except for the Lungta Auto Center, which provides comprehensive auto services. After the revival, initiatives have been taken up to repair and rehabilitate the workshop buildings/facilities gradually in a phased manner to curtail loss and avoid the need for a huge investment. It caters to 3 Field Division i.e. Sarpang, Phuentsholing and Zhemgang Field Division. Jurisdiction wise, it covers the far-flung central region of Panbang, Dagana and Zhemgang. Two field workshops located at Sarpang and Mangdechu provide field support services.Hotels
* Hotel Khamsang, Hotel Tshenden, Tropical, Chorten and Kuky are the few hotels cum bar in Gelephu. Apart from these there are many Indian hotels like Hotel Ashoka, Prasad & Laxhmi.References
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