Introduction:
Bir Dege Tibetan Society was established in 1967 on a total area of 165 acres of land. It is situated on a relatively flat area with a slight slope from north to south and surrounded by hills and peaks on all sides.The land is owned and administered by the Society through a President and Board of members who work in tandem with the settlement office.
Settlement Location:
This settlement is located in North India of Himalayas ranges in the State of Himachal Pradesh which is about 60-70 Kms away from Dharamsala. The altitude of the place is about 1500 meters away from the sea level. The maximum and minimum temperature of the place is 5 to 30 degree Celsius with an average rainfall of 310 cm.་The weather is fairly warm in the summer and quite cold in the winter.
Settlement Population
Number of villages:
The settlement consist of only one village
Settler’s Livelihood:
In the beginning their major source of income was tea plantation. However, this could not provide enough means of livelihood. Therefore the primary source of livelihood of the settlers is sweater selling business during winter. Some families own restaurants and boutique shops. A few entrepreneurs process barley and sell the end product Tsampa to the settlers and people from outside the settlement.
Facilities in the settlement
| School | One Days school up to class V One Nursery & Creche |
|---|---|
| Health facilities | One modern allopathic hospital One Tibetan Medical and Astro institute |
| Monastery | One Pel yul choekhorling, Nyingmapa One Gonpa sherapling, Kagyue One Dzongsar, Sakya |
| Old people’s home | none |
Administrative setup
Settlement Office:
The settlement office is the representative of Department of Home, Central Tibetan Administration and is the overall incharge of the settlement in all aspects, from maintaining law and order to development. He acts as a link between CTA, state and central government agencies and any other concerns. Under him, there is an elected camp leader who is assisted by group leaders. All development works are implemented through the camp leaders. Settlement officer takes all major decisions in consultation with the camp leaders and are the most important link between the settlement office and the community. All development works are implemented through the camp leaders. Settlement officer takes all major decisions in consultation with the camp leaders and are the most important link between the settlement office and the community.
Local Assemblies:
Like every other genuine democratic system the Tibetans in Bir Dege elect their own representative for better understanding of the problems with them. These elected members act as an intermediary with relevant authorities, pass on information, settle disputes and collect money. They can bring up the problems of the Tibetan people and raise the question on the working of the Tibetan settlement Officer. These members are elected on the basis of their strength of personality and one’s ability to stand before the interest of their people. At present there are 15 members in the Local Tibetan Assembly.