Local leaders of Dagana decided to propose for an additional budget to the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement to maintain the 86-kilometre Sunkosh-Dagana highway. The Ministry approved about Nu 100 M but it is not enough.
With the current state of the highway, it does not live up to its name. Today, the road is riddled with potholes. And it has never seen any major maintenance for years.
The issue has been discussed several times. It is deliberated once again today. The work needs more money.
“This is the seventh Dzongkhag Tshogdu and we have been discussing the highway since we were elected in 2016. Now it is high time for us to come up with concrete solutions to improve the condition of the highway,” said Phurba, the Gup of Tseza Gewog in Dagana.
“We talk about tourism and its benefits but visitors refuse to come to Dagana as soon as they reach Sunkosh. It is not because they don’t want to come here but they are worried about the road condition. Now it is high time for us to decide to improve the road condition,” added Dhendup, the Mangmi for Largyab Gewog.
Some local leaders also proposed to prioritize widening over blacktopping.
Meanwhile, the department of roads has started blacktopping five kilometres of the road from the Dzong and will blacktop 10 more kilometres in the next fiscal year.
But according to the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement, it would cost Nu 700 M to widen and blacktop the Sunkosh-Dagapela highway.
Pema Tshewang
