The construction of a 240-bedded hostel at Garpawoong Middle Secondary School in Samdrup Jongkhar is expected to resume after being kept on hold for more than two years. Works were stopped to settle a court case between the Dzongkhag Administration and the contractor. The Dzongkhag administration had filed a case against the contractor for not being able to complete the works on time.
The hostel construction which started in 2016, was supposed to complete by 2017. However, only 50 per cent of the works had finished by the end of the contract period.
“We terminated the contract and then forwarded the case to court. Since the case was in the court, construction was stopped. We were not allowed to carry on the construction works. We won the case and contractor was made to pay Nu 12 M but the contractor appealed to the high court and from there also we won,” said Tharchin Lhendup, the Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongda.
Since construction was delayed, students who would have otherwise been staying there had to walk for hours from their homes to school.
“If we have a hostel, we can study properly. It takes almost an hour to reach home from school and it is tiring for us. Getting the hostel would be very convenient,” said Domche Wangmo, a Student of Garpawoong Middle Secondary School.
“We have to come to school on foot and we are not able to study well. If we get the hostel, we would be very grateful,” added Phurba Dorji, also a student.
Now with the court case over, the Dzongkhag Administration expects to complete the works by the end of this year.
“We have awarded the work to another contractor, he is currently mobilising the labourers and materials, we are hoping that by end of this month the work will be started. And by the end of this year or if not by the beginning of next year it will be complete,” the Dzongda said.
The Dzongkhag Administration allocated about Nu 23 M for the project.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
