Two years on since the Wobthang Organic Wonders was initiated, the people of Tang Gewog in Bumthang are now questioning its ownership and the benefit it has to the community. People raised their concerns to the Prime Minister during his visit to the Gewog last month. The former Opposition Leader Pema Gyamtsho founded the vegetable farm on state land, which was traditionally occupied by Tang people as pastureland. The farm is also yet to acquire the land on lease.
During the meeting with the Prime Minister, some villagers asked if the farm is owned by the government or privately owned by the former Opposition Leader. They also said that the farm hasn’t had much impact on the development of the Tang community.
People said they assumed the farm is a joint venture between the Prime Minister and the former Opposition Leader.
“It would have been appropriate if they had consulted the public when the farm was established. Moreover, the Prime Minister and the former Opposition Leader should have considered providing the community with some sort of dividend from the profits. It has been a couple of years now that the farm has been running but there is not much benefit to the people.” said Yeshey Nidup from Nimlung under Tang Gewog.
“When the former Opposition Leader visited the site and asked the Tshogpas if the land should be kept as it is or be transformed for other activities, my Tshogpa friends and I told him that if it were for the benefit of the people, a change would be helpful to the community,” said the former Khangrab Tshogpa, Leki.
“Otherwise, we said we would be blamed by the people. However, we are yet to see a tangible result from the farm though the Opposition Leader might have set it up with a positive motive,” he added.
The Prime Minister, Dr Lotay Tshering, clarified that the farm is not a government-owned project. He said that his office only provided some monetary support with the understanding that the farm is going to repay the amount in kind by supplying vegetables to nearby boarding schools.
“This is a purely private initiative headed by Pema Gyamtsho which was supported by me. I was able to gather around Nu 3 M and give it to him in two packages. Then I received a letter from the Royal Audit Authority last year asking me how I am going to settle it. I told the auditor that this is an understanding between the head of the government and the former Opposition Leader and there is nothing suspicious in it, whatsoever. That’s how I cleared the audit memo” said the Prime Minister.
The Wobthang vegetable farm’s manager Ugyen Namgay said the former Opposition Leader who currently works in Nepal will visit the country next month to solve the land lease issue and formulate a by-law for the farm’s operation.
He also said the farm is yet to make any profit and is struggling to sell its produce. He added that the farm was able to employ people on daily wages and the amount provided by the Prime Minister’s Office has been fully spent on labour and tractor-hiring charges to the locals.
Today, the farm occupies over 45 acres of land. 30 acres of it is used to grow potatoes. There are also nine polyhouses growing chillies, tomatoes and carrots.
The farm was established during the pandemic to complement the government’s food security initiatives. Several agencies under the Agriculture Ministry provided machinery and technical support when it was being developed.
Kipchu, Bumthang
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
