It is unlikely that Zhemgang Dzongkhag would get a college in the 12th Five Year Plan.
The Education Minister said that there are no plans to establish a college in Zhemgang in the 12th Plan during the Question Hour session at the National Assembly yesterday.
The Education Minister was responding to a question on the establishment of a college in Zhemgang raised by Member of Parliament (MP) from Panbang, Dorji Wangdi.
MP Dorji Wangdi said that one of the expectations of people in Zhemgang was to have a college in the Dzongkhag.
He said that the Zhemgang Dzongkhag Tshogdu had submitted several petitions to the previous government following which the matter was discussed during the last session of the second Parliament.
MP Dorji Wangdi added that following extensive deliberations in the Parliament, it was decided that a college would be established in Zhemgang in the 12th Plan.
However, the Education Minister said that he wasn’t aware of the previous government’s decisions to establish a college in Zhemgang and that there were no plans and policies to establish a college in Zhemgang in the 12th Plan.
Lyonpo Jai Bir Rai said that experts in the education ministry found the present Zhemgang Central School unsuitable to be upgraded to a college.
The Education Minister also said that if more colleges are established in the country, there would be shortage of students in the colleges.
The Opposition Leader, Pema Gyamtsho, said that many Bhutanese students spend huge amount of money to study outside the country and that establishment of new colleges would provide opportunities for Bhutanese students to study within the country.
During a week long tour to Zhemgang last year, the former Education Minister Norbu Wangchuk had informed the people of Zhemgang that the government planned to establish a college in the Dzongkhag in the 12th Plan.
