A number of activities will be held 

Anniversary: The DANTAK project will be celebrating its 55th raising anniversary from April 24 to 28. A number of activities have been planned to commemorate the occasion. The celebration will commence on April 24 with the DANTAK Open Mountain Bike Race from Thimphu to Paro and back covering a distance of approximately 90kms.

This will be followed by a regimental function on April 25 and the DANTAK social evening on April 28.

The mountain bike race is being organised in collaboration with the Bhutan Olympic Committee with the flag off planned from Changlimithang Stadium by HRH Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck and Prime Minister Lyonchoen Tshering Tobgay.

The closing ceremony including the prize distribution will be at the Clock Tower square. Her Majesty Gyalyum Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck will be the chief guest for the event. Prizes worth Nu 300,000 will be presented to the winner and runner up in the open, children and veterans categories.

The event will include the popular DANTAK fete at the Clock Tower square and include food, exhibitions and entertainment programmes.

The regimental function will begin with an address by the Chief Engineer to all ranks reiterating the commitment of DANTAK to the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan followed by Barakhana and a musical evening for entertainment of troops.

The celebration will conclude on April 28 with a protocol dinner in the DANTAK officers’ mess.

Speaking on the occasion Chief Engineer of Project, Brigadier PKG Mishra, said that he feels DANTAK is not merely a project but a way of life in Bhutan. He paid tribute to the 1,156 DANTAK personnel who lost their lives working in various projects in Bhutan. He also expressed sincere gratitude to various authorities in Bhutan for their unstinted professional and social support to DANTAK. He has promised to complete the prestigious Damchu-Chukha road by the next DANTAK day for which the DANTAK Task Force is working relentlessly.

DANTAK was formed in 1961 at Deothang.

Since then, DANTAK has constructed over 1,600km of roads in Bhutan, including the Phuentsholing-Thimphu, Samdrupjongkhar-Trashigang, Trashigang-Yadi, and Gelephu-Trongsa highways, along with 5,000m of permanent bridges.

DANTAK has constructed Paro airport, an airstrip at Yonphula, Trashigang, and the Sherubtse College of Kanglung in 1968.

In 1980, DANTAK constructed the India House Estate in Thimphu, the Bhutan Broadcasting Service station, and the India-Bhutan microwave link.

“DANTAK over a period of time has contributed immensely for the development of Bhutan,” a press release from the organisation stated.

Staff reporter

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