Nganglam Dungkhag in Pema Gatshel is currently abuzz with the construction of a dry port, which is perhaps the biggest trade infrastructure project commencing there in decades. This has led to the anticipation of good economic prospects among the landowners of Pelzomthang and Rinchenthang. These places are nearby the dry port construction site.
The dry port is being constructed at Pelzomthang, which is located a kilometre away from the Integrated Check Point towards Nganglam. Works began about two months ago.
According to landowners of Pelzomthang and Rinchenthang, such milestone economic development may play a critical role in uplifting the local economy.
Therefore, they don’t want to miss the chance and look forward to constructing one-storied houses to run shops and convert them into rental spaces for employees of the upcoming dry port.
“Even the civil servants are facing a housing crunch in Nganglam. So, if the authorities grant us approval to construct houses on our lands, we will construct a one-storied building to earn rental income,” one of the landowners in Pelzomthang, Rinchen Zangpo.
Other landowners have similar hopes and aspirations.
“I cleared bushes from my land to construct a house but I couldn’t get approval from the dzongkhag. I would be grateful if the government could come up with proper planning and grant us approval. We can at least earn income and improve our livelihoods,” added a landowner from Rinchenthang, Namsay Wangdi.
But there are odds stacked against them. Some lands at Pelzomthang fall within the biological corridor, which is a geographically defined area that provides connectivity between landscapes, ecosystems and habitats. Due to this, landowners are currently disallowed to construct concrete buildings.
For landowners of Rinchenthang, the stalled town planning has been the reason not to construct permanent houses.
The gewog administration has taken up the matter with the district administration.
“As the area falls under the biological corridor, we have also raised this issue. So, we are hoping this problem will be solved soon and landowners can construct the house to rent out for the staff working for dry port and generate good income,” told Chhoekhorling Gup Kinzang Rabten to BBS news.
The district administration has written to the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement to look into the matter.
Now it is up to the ministry to decide the fate of more than 100 landowners in Pelzomthang and Rinchenthang.
Thinley Dorji, Pema Gatshel
Edited by Pema Lhaden
