The residents of Zurigang village at Yoeseltse Gewog in Samtse have yet to reap the benefits of a farm road constructed nearly a decade ago. This is because the farm road had to be closed due to poor land stability and private land encroachment issues. At a time when all the villages are developing by getting connected to main roads, Zurigang residents say that they have been left to suffer.
Among the affected villagers is 55-year-old Parvati Ghalley. With the help of her children, Parvati has been trying to build a small house in Zurigang. But without a proper road connection, Parvati’s house construction works are running at a snail’s pace.
“We took a risk to build ourselves a house when we didn’t have a proper road connection. Now, we are facing a lot of challenges to complete the construction work. It has been about two years now since my children and I started the work. We face a lot of difficulties in bringing the construction materials here,” said Parvati.
Like Parvati, her 38-year-old neighbour, Gupta Singh Ghalley also dreams of building a house soon.
But aware of his neighbour’s current situation, Gupta now seems a little sceptical about his decision.
“I think I will face a lot of challenges in bringing the construction materials here. Vehicles will bring the raw materials to the road point but from there we will have to carry it on our backs and bring it here. I think it will incur more expenditure to hire people to take our materials to the village. I don’t think we can construct a house for now,” said Gupta Singh Ghalley.
Similarly, Dil Kumari Ghalley, one of the oldest residents of the village, have simply given up hope of getting a road.
“I have been hearing a lot of locals saying that our village will soon get a road connection. But I didn’t see any roads coming up so far. I am now getting old and we still have not been connected with a farm road. I don’t think we will get one now,” said Dil Kumari.
Like many other villages of Zurigang-Jigmedthang chiwog in Yoeseltse, Zurigang village was also connected with a branch road along with the construction of over 10 kilometers of Zurigang farm road in 2015.
But shortly after the completion of the road, the stretch which is nearly a kilometre in length, had to be closed as it had encroached a private land.
Chabilal Ghalley, the former Mangmi Yoeseltse Gewog said the road construction works had to stop because one of the villagers didn’t approve the construction as the road passes through her land. “Then, numerous surveys were conducted to connect the village to other places. But we could not get a proper route and as such Shetipakha village remains cut off from other places.”
The Yoeseltse Gewog Administration also cited similar reasons for the closure of the Shetipakha road. The gewog had reportedly tried to connect the village via another route but did not get social clearances from a few of the villagers.
But the officials assured that if they get social clearances from the public, the gewog will manage a budget to help the villagers get connected with a farm road as per the Road Act.
Zurigang village currently has about 12 households relying solely on farming and growing betel nut as one of the main cash crops.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
