Sangay opens village for newly arrived exiles
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, May 18
Sikyong Lobsang Sangay has inaugurated Lily village for the newly arrived Tibetans at Bir. The village is 50 km from Dharamsala.
The Department of Home of the Central Tibetan Administration’s project aims at rehabilitating the newly arrived Tibetans with permanent housing facilities. The village consists of 74 houses. The cost of each house is about Rs 9 lakh.
Inaugurating the new Tibetan village, Sangay said the administration was committed to the welfare of the newly arrived Tibetan refugees. “My colleagues in the Kashag and I feel responsible for the welfare of Tibetans just as a parent would feel for his/her children. We are doing our best to brighten their future,” he said.
Sangay extended gratitude to the Government of India for its hospitality. “The Indian government has done a lot for Tibetans. We should always be grateful and maintain a harmonious relationship with the country’s people,” he said, urging the people to diligently follow the rules and regulations of the country.
Home Kalon Dolma Gyari in her inaugural remarks said housing was one of the bare necessities that a human being needed to lead a comfortable life. “For that reason, governments across the world initiate numerous projects to build houses for the poor and homeless,” she said.
“Since 1959, Tibetan refugees have been rehabilitated in settlements across India, Nepal and Bhutan under the leadership of the Dalai Lama and the hospitality of the state governments,” she said.
She said the housing facilities in the settlements were inadequate for the second wave of refugees from Tibet. Therefore, to cater to these specific needs, the Kashag led by Sikyong had initiated the housing project, she added.
