30 May 2023, Mundgod: Mundgod’s Camp 10 Phendey colony has been inaugurated today by the Home Secretary Palden Dhondup on 30 May 2023.

Under Kashag’s vision to provide affordable shelters to the most vulnerable families and individuals in the exile community, Mundgod Camp 10 Phendey colony with 40 houses for newly arrived Tibetan families has been built by the Department of Home, CTA, through the Mundgod Tibetan Settlement Office.

Initial rituals were carried out by the abbot and monks of Ngagyur Dordak Sa-Ngak Choekhorling and the ceremony was held in the presence of South zone Chief Representative Officer Jigme Tsultrim, Mundgod TSO Lhakpa Dolma, Joint Secretary Tenzin Kunsang, head of the projects Joint Secretary Tenzin Khenrab, and Architect Amardeep, along with other engineers, contractors, and local dignitaries.

The name of the colony – Phendeshidrong– has been graciously provided by His Holiness the Dalai Lama through his Private office.

The construction of the Camp 10 housing project was started in January 2020, but due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the development works were abruptly put on hold from March 2020 until Dec 2021. The construction of the overall 40 houses was completed in October 2022, whereas the external site development works, including laying the concrete road, drainages, sewerage system, transformers and electrification, water distribution system, overhead tank, plinth protection, stormwater disposal work, etc., were completed by March 2023. While the construction works were underway, the family review process was simultaneously carried out, and the houses were subsequently distributed to the families through a random draw on May 28, 2023, in the presence of TSO Lhakpa Dolma and Tenzin Khenrab as a representative from the Home Department, CTA.

Out of 40 houses, 24 are 300 sq ft, which were distributed to a single person or a family with two members, whereas the remaining 16 are 600 sq ft, which were distributed to families with more than two members.

The total cost of the project is INR 4.29 crore, out of which German Aid to Tibetans (GAT) has contributed 29.83 lakhs for road and water systems, whereas PRM, US State Department has contributed 38.96 lakhs for boundary wall and gate construction in early 2016 and INR 5.76 lakhs from local monasteries. About 84% of the total cost has been borne by the Central Tibetan Administration through TAWS.

During the inauguration ceremony, Home Secretary presented mementoes to the families who have donated the land to establish Camp 10, the project’s architect and contractors and handed keys to each family member.

Home Secretary will continue with his Southern settlement visit until 10 June 2023.

–Filed by the Department of Home