Dharamshala, 27th March 2025: The tenth day of the ninth session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, presided over by Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, began with a starred question raised to Sikyong Penpa Tsering by parliamentarian Rigzin Lhundup. The Sikyong provided the necessary clarification in response to the starred question, as well as to the supplementary questions posed by other parliamentarians.

The house proceeded with the deliberation and approval of the Department of Home, the Chief Representative Office of the South Zone, and five Tibetan Settlements without Local Tibetan Assemblies. These included Tibetan settlement offices in Delhi, Sharkhum, Dickey Larsoe, Darjeeling, Lugsam, Lotserok (Nepal), and Dorpattan (Nepal).

Parliamentarians commended the department’s overall performance, recognizing the dedicated efforts of the Kalon, the Secretary, officials, and staff, including settlement officers and staff from various Tibetan settlements.

Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the incumbent Kalon of the Department of Home, addressed all concerns and questions raised regarding the budget of the Department of Home. This included discussions on the CTA’s housing projects, Tibetan cooperative societies across India, the sustainability of Tibetan settlements, India’s Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy of 2014, and other related matters.

The special recurring budget, along with a motion for a reduction and surkyol budget of the Department of Home with motions of reduction and increment, was approved by the house. Furthermore, a motion to increment the budget of the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office (Nepal) was also approved.

The house then moved on to the deliberation and approval of the proposed 2025-2026 budgets for the Tibet Information Office in Canberra and the Tibetan Cultural Centre Limited in Australia. The surkyol budget of the Tibetan Cultural Centre Limited (Australia), which was tabled with a motion for an increment, was likewise approved.

After the required discussions, the recurring budget for the Office of Tibet (Washington DC) under the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) was approved. The special recurring budget of the Office of Tibet (Washington DC) remains open.

The session was adjourned at 7:40 pm.