People of Kazhi Gewog in Wangdue Phodrang await the Department of Roads to complete the blacktopping of the remaining 16-kilometre stretch of road in Belangdra. The department, so far, has blacktopped six kilometres of the 22-kilometre road.
The six-kilometre stretch was blacktopped in two phases. The department as blacktopped the three-kilometre stretch in the second phase at a cost of Nu 15 M. The stretch of the road blacktopped thus far is benefitting the commuters, especially the devotees visiting the sacred Baelangdra monastery.
However, a major portion of the road is yet to be blacktopped. With an increasing number of commuters along the road, the locals said the road condition is worsening every year. It becomes too dry and dusty during the winter and muddy and slippery during the summer.
“No small cars can ply on the road which is yet to be blacktopped. We have to travel either in bolero or in other vehicles which is expensive as the fare keeps increasing during the summer. They won’t reduce it in winter. We have to pay Nu 250 while travelling from Wangdue till our village and have to pay Nu 300 when we go till the Belangdra temple. With the bad road condition, it is a hassle to even transport our products such as chillies and potatoes which are all we produce,” said Ngawang Dorji.
“We have a sacred religious site of Guru Rimpoche and other places of worship in our village. Moreover, we produce chillies and potatoes in huge quantity which needs to be transported and requires blacktopped road. Every candidate promised that they will blacktop the road during the election. But maybe it got left out due to budget constraint. The three kilometres blacktopped road is already benefitting us and would be grateful if the road is blacktopped till the temple,” added Kinley Dorji.
The Department of Roads office in Lobesa said the office has not been able to blacktop the remaining stretch due to budget constraint.
“We have been trying our best to get funds for blacktopping. Actually, the department wants to blacktop right from the take-off point. It’s 22 kilometres. We have been proposing the budget. But the budget has never come. We are getting the budget in phases,” said Karma Tenzin, Cheif Engineer with the DoR regional office in Lobesa.
According to the road official, Belangdra road was initially constructed in the 1980s to extract slates from the area for roofing. However, the department of road regional office in Lobesa says the budget will be proposed in the next financial year to continue the blacktopping works.
Changa Dorji
