Roads are crucial for economic development and growth. In rural places, it can help people make a living and improve access to services. But in Dzamlingzor village under Tsirang district having their homes connected with a road has remained a wish that is yet to be fulfilled.
One of the village elders, Phurpa, says he has been hoping for the village to get connected with a road ever since he moved into the chiwog over two decades back.
77-year-old Phurpa is harvesting bananas and plans to take them to Damphu town. But it takes him almost 40 minutes to carry the fruits from his orchard to the nearest road point.
“We have oranges; ginger and cardamom to sell but the dealers refuse to buy them. They say there is no road, and it is difficult to bring them to the road,” said Phurpa, a resident.
Other farmers in the village also share the same. The villagers say they can grow many kinds of crops and fruits owing to the favourable climatic condition. But they can’t profit from it due to the lack of a road.
“If we go as per the definition of a farm road, our village qualifies for a farm road. This is because we depend heavily on farming both commercially and for self-consumption. Without a farm road, it is difficult to market our farm produce or bring heavy goods from the road point to our houses,” said Lachu Man Monger, another resident.
Meanwhile, the gewog office says they could not construct a farm road since the village did not meet the minimum household requirement of the old farm road guidelines and also since there is a gewog centre road that passes by the village. According to the old farm road guideline, a minimum of ten household was required to be eligible for farm road construction.
However, considering the plight of the villagers, the office has decided to construct a farm road for them. The works are expected to begin in the next financial year.
“This time we have given priority to constructing a farm road leading to Rati Khola in the chiwog. This is because the need is very urgent. After completing that road construction, we will prioritise the farm road for the eight households here by next year” said Dzamlingzor Tshogpa, Pancha Dorji Tamang.
So come next year, their period of despair may finally come to an end when the people of Dzamlingzor achieve their dreams of having direct access to roads.
Pema Tshewang, Tsirang
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
