19/08/2026
19 August 2026
The Department of Human Settlement (DHS), under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, today formally launched Zhichar, the Integrated System for Spatial Plans and Buildings, at the Ministry's Conference Hall in Thimphu. The system was launched by the Hon'ble Secretary.
Zhichar is Bhutan's first unified digital platform connecting spatial plan boundaries, building stock registries and land cadastre data, addressing a long-standing gap in which spatial plans, land titles, building records and tax records were maintained in disconnected systems.
The system enables fully paperless submission, review and approval of building plans, and allows building owners to view and correct their property records online without visiting an office. It validates plot boundaries and Thram ownership in real time with NLCS through eSakor, registers approved buildings automatically into the national building stock, and feeds building and rental data to the Property Tax System and PAVA for consistent valuation. It also includes an Emergency Shelter Preparedness Module and secure inter-agency APIs for real-time data sharing.
The Ministry extends its sincere appreciation to Cloud Bhutan, GovTech Agency, NLCS, the Thromdes and Dzongkhags, DRC, PAVA and Bhutan NDI for connecting their data and workflows to a shared national platform.
Zhichar reflects the Ministry's commitment to a digitally enabled, resilient and self-reliant Bhutan, where government systems serve citizens as one government.
