By August next year, the shopkeepers in Dagana town will have to move to their new allotted plots. If they fail to do so, the district municipal will demolish the remaining huts. But the plot holders say they are not happy and that the land allotment is unjust.
The Dzongkhag Administration had allocated little less than three decimals of land to each plot holders in 2002 in new Dagana Town.
A plot holder, Kaka, said what the Dzongkhag Administration has allocated is just the opposite of what the Land Act states. “What I have understood from the Land Act is that no one will be allowed to build a house if their land holding is less than 13 decimals,” he said.
Another land owner, Chitra Maya, said the units in their building are small because of the smaller plots they were allotted with. “If we increase the rent, the tenants won’t be able to pay and if decrease it, we won’t be able to repay our loans.”
The Dagana Municipal Officer, Mani Kumar, said the plots were allocated to the people by the government before the Land Act was endorsed in 2007 by the National Assembly. “They were allotted 2.71 decimals each due to lack of plots in the district. I think the government allotted the land in such a manner that as many people who wanted land were given.” He said there were shortage of land and rugged terrain to take into consideration.
The Dagana Administration recently issued a notification stating that the District Municipality will demolish the old town by August next year.
