The Pema Gatshel dzongkhag tshogdu (DT) deferred the clearance approval for the extension of Khothagpa gypsum mine in Shumar Gewog to the next session for further discussion.
During the recent sitting, the members said, the proposal submitted by the department of geology and mines is not clear and needs to be reworked.
The proposal for extension of the mine’s demarcation was submitted through the dzongkhag land lease committee. The department of geology and mines (DGM) wants to increase its landholding to 84.6 acres from 64.8 acres, once the present contract with the State Mining Corporation Limited expires on 31st December 2020. The lease will then have to be re-auctioned.
The department reasoned that only about 15 per cent of the total deposit has been extracted so far. As per the detailed exploration done, some five decades ago, Khothagpa gypsum mine in Shumar gewog has a reserve of almost 26 million tons of gypsum reserve.
About 11 households and Khothagpa primary school have to be relocated if the DT issues the clearance. Local leaders say that the proposal has no clear cut on how the relocations will be compensated and how the community will benefit from the extension. Further, the proposal was not accepted in the gewog level, accepting it in the DT would create more confusions.
“According to the rules, the matter should first be routed from the Gewog Tshogdu to the DT. But we couldn’t resolve it at the gewog level. There are no clear details of land substitutions for the affected households. I think the DT members should give the proposal a proper thought before giving the clearance,” said Sangay Chophel, Shumar Gup.
“The office should present the details on how it will benefit the people of Shumar gewog once the clearance is obtained. The report should include whether it will benefit other gewogs as well and for the matter, even the country. Such knowledge would help us make a more informed decision. If we approve the proposal with whatever details we have today, then in future, many problems could arise. Our intention is not to withhold the clearance,” added Pema Dorji, the Zobel Gup.
The department of geology and mines has also been asked to present the detailed project report to the members before submitting it to the DT.
Obtaining the clearance from the DT is the first step required before the DGM follows up with other clearances from the relevant agencies.
