With the 10th Five Year Plan nearing completion the Tsirang Dzongkhag is facing short of more Nu. 12 million for the construction of farm roads.Of the nine farm roads planned, three could not be constructed. The recently held Dzongkhag Yargye Tshogdue, DYT, decided to construct the remaining three farm roads during the 11th Five Year Plan.
The DYT chairperson, Yeshey, said that with only around 10 months remaining for the 10th plan to end, the DYT decided that money allocated for the three farm roads will be used to pay for the farm roads which are being constructed.
However, the members did not agree and said the farm roads should be constructed as planned.“We have to express our opinion here because it’s our responsibility. Initially people were told that they will get the farm road soon. But now we have to tell them that their farm road is delayed for the next plan. They think that we are not doing our job here,” said Rinchen, Mangmi of Kilkhorthang Gewog.
Of the nine farm roads planned for the financial year 2011-2012, two have been completed but the contractors have not received the money yet. Four are under construction. The Dzongrab, Kinley Gyltshen, said that most of the farm roads are being constructed under the Small Development Project funded by the Government of India. The government has no money since the Government of India has not released the money.”
He also added that the Dzongkhag has not been able to pay the contractors since the government does not have money.
The bigger worry, according to Mangmi of Khikorthang Gewog, is that they have two other farm roads to be completed in the next plan. “The delayed farm roads might affect our budget ceiling for the next plan.”
The Dzongkhag is planning to recover the budget deficit with the leftover money from other GOI funded projects in the Dzongkhag. Meanwhile, the contractors who constructed the farm roads have to wait for a while to claim their money.
