The people of Tsakaling Gewog in the Monggar constituency will go for a candidate who will assist them in selling their farm produce, improve farm roads and upgrade the school in their gewog. The public shared these expectations to BBS during the recent common forum held in the gewog.
For the upcoming bye-election in the Monggar constituency, residents of Tsakaling Gewog shared that they would vote for a candidate who can support them in marketing their agricultural products and provide other necessities in their gewog.
Every year, farmers of Tsakaling earn a good income by selling vegetables, fruits, and beaten maize. However, they claim that there were not many who helped them in the marketing of their farm produce especially in times of the pandemic.
Karma Chozom, one of the residents from Tsakaling said that they want a candidate who can help them promote their farm produces. “As we depend on vegetable production to generate income, we want a candidate who can support us in promoting our farm produce,” she said.
“We also want a candidate who can maintain the farm roads in our gewog. There are some villages, which have good farm roads and while some villages they even don’t have a road. And the face-lifting of the school in our gewog is one of the important priorities the candidate must focus on,” Karma added.
Likewise, Sonam Gyeltshen, another Tsakaling resident also shared similar expectations. “We are looking for a candidate who will support us in providing adequate drinking and irrigation water and good farm roads,” he said.
“And many farmers still don’t know how to do marketing of their products. And the school has been there before I joined my work. Now the roofing and the pillars are also in need of major maintenance,” Sonam added.
Both the candidates seemed to be aware of the people’s needs.
“For Tsakaling Gewog, my pledge which is not included in the 12th Five Year Plan is to reconstruct all the structures in Tsakaling Primary School. The school is one of the oldest primary schools and it needs renovations. Farmers of Tsakaling produce a large quantity of farm produce and I promise them to provide support and ideas in selling their agriculture products in the local market,” said Karma Lhamo, the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa’s candidate from Monggar.
“As most of the farmers depend on agriculture for livelihood, we must help them in different ways. So I am going to assist the farmers in selling the farm produce. And I also promised them to set up a small factory to generate income and provide employment opportunity,” said Dorji Youden, the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa’s candidate.
For now, the common forums are still an ongoing process in the Monggar constituency. So far, the two candidates have finished the common forums and door-to-door campaigns in Drepoong, Tsakaling and Monggar gewogs. It is scheduled to be complete by June 18.
The bye-elections for the National Assembly members of Monggar and Nganglam constituencies will be held on June 29.
Monggar constituency has more than 11,000 registered voters.
Sonam Tshering, Monggar
