The focus should be on bifurcation of bigger gewogs for economic benefits and not just on reducing the number of gewogs, the National Council suggests.
A preliminary draft report on gewog reconfiguration, the Department of Local Governance has come up with, says the number of gewogs in the country can be cut down by about 57.
There are 205 Gewogs in the country.
National Council’s Deputy Chairperson, Tshering Dorji says splitting a large gewog into two or by clubbing smaller gewogs into one will only accelerate socio-economic development in the gewogs. He said people will have more access to public services as the gewog centres will be located at convenient place.
The National Council’s Natural Resources Environment Committee has taken up task to study the details of the matter.
“We have got further direction from the house to reexamine some of the areas.” The Deputy Chairperson said they will be able to present a report in the upcoming session of the parliament and also come up with sound recommendations.
The government is likely to save Nu 180-190 M by reducing 55-57 numbers of gewogs.
Department of Local Governance’s Director General, Dorji Norbu said the gewog reconfiguration work is in preliminary stage and nothing has been finalized yet.
He said they are also looking at rural-urban migration. He said spending millions of Ngultrum to maintain gewog centres, in gewogs without people, serves no purpose.
Gewog reconfiguration work has been stalled for a while. “The department is collaborating with the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement and the Election Commission of Bhutan on delimitation of boundaries of thromdes across the country,” said Dorji Norbu.
Once complete, the draft report will be submitted to the cabinet.
