Our People

  • Gyalpoi Zimpon Penjore

Chairman

Born in 15th August 1961. Gyalpoi Zimpon graduated in B.com (Hons) from the Delhi University and obtained his M.A. Economics degree from  Northeastern University, Boston.

He has been Deputy Governor, Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan upto 2005 and is Gyalpoi Zimpon (Royal Chamberlain) since January 2007. He was the member of the working committee for designing and launching Bhutan’s National Pension Plan, member of the inter-ministerial working committee for drafting Bhutan’s first FDI policy, and member of the Working Group for Bhutan’s WTO Accession; Member Secretary for the Ad hoc Committee for Civil Service Salary Reforms and worked on several financial sector projects, including setting up Royal Securites Exchange of Bhutan, interbank cheque clearing system in Bhutan, and setting up of Bhutan National Bank. He is the Secretary General of Bhutan India Friendship Association (BIFA) and Board Member of the India Bhutan Foundation.

  • Dasho Bharat Tamang

Managing Director

Born in 1957 in Goshi, Dagapela, Dagana Dzongkhag,Dasho Bharat Tamang Yonzen has his permanent residence registered now in Majigaon, Lhamoy Zingkha Dungkhag. After completing Class XII from Sherubtse/Kanglung Junior College in 1978, he graduated with a Bachelor of Technology (Distinction) in Electrical Power Engineering degree from the Regional Engineering College, Surathkal, South Kanara district, University of Mysore, Karnataka State, India in 1983. He obtained his MSEE (Power Systems) degree from the University of Missouri, Rolla, USA in 1989. He joined Royal Government service on 1st April 1984 in the earlier Department of Power under the then Ministry of Development (later called Ministry of Trade and Industry) and now renamed as the Ministry of Economic Affairs. He started his career as an Assistant Engineer in the Research and Development (R&D) Division, Thimphu and after serving for 3 months, he took over the charge as the Officiating Divisional Engineer. R&D Division was responsible for research and design of renewable energy technologies and pilot projects on solar hot water, PV panels, micro hydroelectric plants (1 kW cross-flow and Pelton wheel) and bio-gas plants, sawdust heaters including Darius type windmill. The R&D workshop was located in Begana, which was the site earlier earmarked for the construction of 7 MW Begana hydel plant. The R&D workshop was later converted into Central Maintenance Workshop under funding from the UNDP in 1986. An Electrical Construction Division (ECD) was created in April 1986 to implement the Sub-transmission and distribution (STD) project funded by the Government of India in Thimphu and Paro for underground power supply scheme and improve the STD network. He was transferred as the Divisional Engineer of ECD to manage the implementation of this GoI funded project. One of the main activities of the project was to replace the overhead power lines in the downtown of Thimphu by underground network of power cables. He left for his Master’s degree programme to United States in 1988 and returned after 17 months of higher study in December 1989 and took over the charge of the Transmission Division in the Department of Power till May 1990. Thereafter, he was appointed as the National Project Manager of the Power System Master Plan (PSMP) Project jointly funded by the UNDP and NORAD and executed by the World Bank. The tasks involved identification of potential sites and techno-economical studies (survey, investigation, setting up of hydromet stations for data collection, geological, environment, power system and other desktop & reconnaissance studies) and inventory listing of potential hydropower sites at different locations and short-listing of top ranking Projects to prepare the 20 years’ Power System Master Plan (1993-2014). Pre-feasibility studies of Punatsangchhu-I, Punatsangchhu-II, Mangdechhu and Kholongchhu Projects were also conducted as part of the PSMP study. After the completion of the formulation of Master Plan in 1993, Dasho Tamang was transferred as the Superintending Engineer, Operations and Maintenance Wing of the Department of Power whereby he was involved in the supervision and management of the affairs of the 18 Dzongkhags’ electricity supply and distribution services from the headquarter. He was also the Project Director for all ADB funded and other Donor funded Rural Electrification Project works that started in 1994. In 1996 when the 1020 MW Tala Project implementation agreement was signed between the Royal Government of Bhutan and Government of India, he was appointed as the Engineer Officer (technical advisor) to the Chairman of the Tala Hydroelectric Project Authority on a honorium basis. He continued as the SE (O&M) till May 2000 and thereafter, he was transferred as the Superintending Engineer of the Projects Planning and Investigation Wing. Under his technical guidance, 200 kW Rongchhu micro hydel in Kellungchhu valley, Lhuentse funded under the Joint Implementation programme between the RGoB and the Ministry of Environment (VROM), Netherlands was planned, designed and built solely by the Bhutanese professionals for the first time. The mini hydel plant was successfully commissioned and dedicated to the Nation on 17th Dec. 2001. He was mostly involved in the planning works including the preparation of Five Year Plans (FYP), the Master Plans and coordination of the Feasibility studies and preparation of the Detailed Project reports of large hydropower projects by the Consultants. The earlier Power System Master Plan was updated in 2001-03 and Water Resources Master Plan was also prepared under NORAD assistance. As the Head of the Planning and Investigation Division, he was involved in all technical assistance studies including the preparation of plans for the re-structuring of the earlier Department of Power and formulation of the Electricity Bill that was passed as Electricity Act in 2001. In July 2002 when the Department of Power was restructured and segregated into Department of Energy for planning and policy functions, Bhutan Electricity Authority for regulatory function and the Bhutan Power Corporation for the transmission, distribution and electric supply utility function; Dasho Tamang chose to stay in the Planning and Coordination Division (PCD) of the Department of Energy. Since then he had been serving as the Head of the PCD in the rank of Superintending Engineer and later as Chief Engineer till June 2006, when he was promoted as the Energy Specialist. Various plans, policies and programmes were coordinated by the PCD including the formulation of the RE Master Plan, draft Energy Policy, draft RE Policy, draft Hydropower Policy and the Integrated Energy Management Master Plan. He was closely involved in the tariff formulation process for the Tala Project as well as planning and design of Power projects and programmes including the DPR of 1095 MW Punatsangchhu-I, Feasibility study and Project Design Document of the 114 MW Dagachhu CDM Project and ongoing DPR study of the Mangdechhu and Punatsangchhu-II due for completion in October 2008. On his appointment as the Managing Director of Bhutan Power Corporation on contract by the Druk Holdings and Investment (DHI) on 9th December 2007, he resigned from the Royal Civil Service w.e.f 1st January 2008 and took over the charge of the Bhutan Power Corporation Ltd. with effect from 1st January 2008 for a 4 years’ term.

  • Mr. Gem Tshering

Director

Mr.Gem Tshering is the Director for the Transmission Wing, BPC. He was born on 1st Sept. 1959 at Dogar, Paro. He did his Bsc. Engg. Technology from Madras in 1988 and Msc. Engg. from AIT, Bangkok in 1994. He worked with Department of Agriculture till Oct. 1991.There after,he was transferred from Department of Agriculture to Department of Power and further deputed to Chukha Hydro Power Corporation in 1991 by Royal Civil Service Commission. Since then he worked with the CHPC in different capacities: As a Shift Engineer in the Underground Power House (1991 to 1992), Assistant Engg. General(1994 to 1995), Technical Personal Assistant to Superintending Engineer, Operation & Maintenance Circle (1996 to 1997),Assistant Executive Engineer, Transmission Lines & Sub Stations ( 1997 to 1998), Executive Engineer, Transmission Division- II (1998 to 2001) and Superintending Engineer, Transmission Circle till CHPC Transmission System was merged under Bhutan Power Corporation in June, 2002.

  • Mr. Sonam Tobjey

Chief Finance Officer

Mr. Sonam Tobjey, the Chief Finance Officer of Finance and Accounts Department comes from Yadi village under Ngatshang Gewog of Mongar District. He was born in 1965. After completing his schooling in Bhutan, he graduated with Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi in the year 1989. He completed his post graduate studies in 1995 from University of Canberra, Australia and received Masters of Commerce degree in Accountancy. He began his career in March 1990 as a trainee officer in the east while Department of National Budget and Accounts, Ministry of Finance after being selected in the Royal Civil Service Examination of March 1990. His services were transferred to Royal Bhutan Army, Head Quarters, Lungtenphu in April 1998, where he worked as the Finance Officer till February 2000. He also worked as the Deputy Chief Finance Officer in the Ministry of Trade and Industry till October 2002. Thereafter, he joined Bhutan Power Corporation on secondment from Ministry of Finance and held the post of the Senior Manager, Finance and Accounts Department until the reversion of his services to Ministry of Finance in June 2006. After working for a brief span of five months in the Ministry of Health as a Deputy Chief Accounts Officer, he rejoined BPC on 1st December 2006 and assumed the post of the General Manager, Finance and Accounts Department before he became the Chief Finance Officer, BPC.

  • Mr. Jai Dev Sharma

General Manager

Mr Jai Dev Sharma is from the village of Bara in Samtse. He was born in 1964. After completing Class XII from Sherubtse College, Kanglung in 1986, he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) degree from the Regional Engineering College, Durgapur, India, in 1990. He also got his M Sc (Hydropower) from the Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Trondheim, Norway in 2005. Jai Dev Sharma joined the government Service in 1990 in the erstwhile Department of Power under the Ministry of Trade & Industry. He started his career as the Assistant Engineer, in Bhutan Power System Master Plan Project, which looked after formulation of Master Plan for Hydropower Development in Bhutan.

In 1994, he was transferred to Kurichhu Project Authority on secondment as its Project Engineer (Civil) to look after the construction activities of the Kurichhu Hydroelectric Project. After completing seven years and two months on secondment to Kurichhu Project Authority, he was repatriated back to erstwhile Department of Power in January 2002 and posted in Project Implementation Division. Upon formation of Bhutan Power Corporation in July 2002, Jai Dev Sharma held a post of Senior Manager, Civil Construction & Investigation Division, under Development & Construction Department. In 2006, Engineering & Design Division was created for developing the in-house capability in Engineering & Design aspects of transmission & distribution system, where he was appointed as the Head, of this division. Recognizing his hard work and contribution he had made in the design aspects in BPC he has been promoted to the capacity of General Manager of Engineering & Design Division in January 2007 and subsequently Engineering & Design Division has been upgraded and renamed as “Engineering, Design and Contracts Department” with effect from January 2008.

  • Ms. Chhomo D. Rinchen

General Manager

Chhomo D. Rinchen took over the charges of Human Resources & Administration Department (HRAD) on February 29, 2008 as the new the General Manager from K.B.Wakhley, Executive Director, Transmission Department (TD) who was holding the dual charges of HRAD and TD. She was born in 1970 and comes from Paro. After completing her Bachelors Degree with Distinction from I.P. College for Women, Delhi, she successfully appeared for the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) Examination in 1994.

She started her career from RCSC and worked in various capacities in Human Resource Management Division. She obtained her Masters Degree in Development Management from Asian Institute of Management, Manila, Philippines in 2000. She resigned from the RCSC after serving 13 years in civil service to join BPC.

  • Mr. Suresh Nepal

General Manager

Mr. Suresh Nepal was born in 1971 in Goshi, Dagapela, Dagana Dzongkhag. He received primary and middle secondary level education from Yangchenphug High School and after completing Class XII from Sherubtse College, Kanglung, he graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) degree from the Regional Engineering College, South Gujarat University, State of Gujarat in India in the year 1994. He completed his Masters degree from the Asian Institute of Technology in Power System in the year 2003.
He joined civil service in December 1995 in the erstwhile Department of Power under the then Ministry of Trade and Industry (the current Ministry of Economic Affairs). He started his career as an Assistant Engineer in the Rural Electrification – Project Implementation Unit in Thimphu and was responsible for supervision and monitoring the first rural electrification project funded by the Asian Development Bank. He took charge of the RE project as a Project Manager in the year 2000 and worked for two years before leaving for his higher studies in 2002. After earning his Masters degree in 2003, he was posted in the Planning, Design and Review Cell under the Development & Construction Department. During his tenure in this office, he was also entrusted with the responsibility of heading the Civil Investigation and Maintenance Division. At the same time, he also looked after the 220 kV substation and infrastructure construction project at Rurichhu as a Project Manager for a brief period. In January 2005, he was transferred to the Electricity Services Division, Trashigang to head the Division in the capacity of Manager. After contributing towards improving the electricity services delivery in Trashigang Dzongkhag for a period of one year, he was transferred back to the head quarter in January 2006 to head the Rural Electrification Division directly under the supervision of the Managing Director. The Division was upgraded to a Department in 2007 and simultaneously three Project Management Cells were established for managing the ADB, JICA and ARE Projects. Mr. Suresh was since then managing the JICA financed Rural Electrification Project as a Project Manager until June 2009. Starting from July 2009, he headed the department as officiating General Manager before taking over the department as General Manager with effect from January 2010.

  • Mr. Pradeep Pradhan

General Manager

Pradeep Mani Pradhan graduated with a Bachelors of Engineering (Electronics and Power Engineering) from the Visvesvaraya Regional Engineering College, Nagpur, India in the year 1996 and completed his Masters in Business Administration in the year 2004 from Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. He joined civil service in erstwhile Department of Power under the then Ministry of Trade and Industry (the current Ministry of Economic Affairs) in November 1996 as an Assistant Engineer in the Operation and Maintenance Wing, Thimphu. In the year 1997, he was transferred to Technical Planning Unit (TPU), Thimphu. At Technical Planning unit he was responsible for the issuance of the technical sanctions for the sub-transmission and distribution works, preparation of annual budget & progress report for the Department of Power, preparation of 8th Five year plan documents, preparation of material specifications and evaluation of bids. During his tenure at TPU, the power distribution infrastructure construction standards and schedule of rates was published for the first time.

Thereafter, in 1998 he was transferred as a Project Manager to implement the Sub-Transmission & Distribution Project in Thimphu and Paro. Under the project, 33 kV ring to supply the power to capital city was established and 66 kV and 33 kV substations at Dechenchholing, Jemina, Diesel Power house, RICB, Motithang, Thimphu Hydel, Shaba and Drugyel was constructed including construction of 66 kV lines at from Semtokha to Dechenchholing and Khasadrapchu to Jemina . Besides, the overhead lines at RBA, RBG, Tshongdue & Bonday town at Paro was replaced by underground network of power cables and indoor substations.

In the year 2004, he was entrusted to head the Urban Electrification Division (UED) and during that period, ADSS cable network was completed connecting all the 33 and 66 kV substations for the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition of the substations, whereby the 66 kV and 33 kV substations in Thimphu could be remotely controlled. Besides, UED undertook various improvement & up-gradation works at Thimphu and Paro.

In 2006, BPC undertook the project to refurbish the entire distribution system at Phuentsholing, which was constructed in 1960s. The whole distribution system for the Phuentsholing town was revamped with the modern state of the art distribution system including the introduction of SCADA and DMS (Distribution Management System) at the distribution level.

After completing the improvement and up-gradation works at Phuentsholing, the switching station at Chenary was completed in 2008 which integrated power from Rangjung power house (2 x 1.1 MW), Kurichu power house (4 x 15 MW) and Chenary power house (3 x 750 kW) thereby enhancing the reliability of Trashigang, Rangjung and Kanglung areas. Besides in 2009, UED undertook various 33 kV substation works to improve the power supply reliability at Paro, Thimphu, Punakha, Phobjikha, Wamrong, Gelephu and Bumthang, which has been successfully completed.

He was also involved with the urban distribution system master plan up-to 2020 and detail engineering to electrify 800 houses at Phobjikha, which is a place of protected black neck cranes. Considering Phobjikha valley as a bio diversity hot spots and place of protected black neck cranes, special designs such as substations looking as cow sheds, fully underground network in the core valley, painting all the electrical hardware with forest green colour were incorporated in-order to blend the electrification works with the nature.

From UED, he was then promoted and transferred on 1st January 2010 as a General Manager of Procurement Services Department.