People of Kawang Gewog in Thimphu are eagerly waiting for their Local Area Plan (LAP) to be approved. Houses in the affected Chiwogs are getting old and no major developmental activities took place so far. A temporary prohibition on construction of houses was placed in early 2016.
Local area plans for the three Chiwogs of Dazhi_Zhoshuel, Chhamina_Chhokhor, and Kuzhugchen should have been implemented five years ago. With no word on the plans so far, development in these Chiwogs were halted.
Kawang Gup Dawa Tshering said, “even when the budget for developmental activities reaches the Gewog, we cannot use the money in these Chiwogs as there is no room to do anything due to the ongoing LAP.”
People keep raising the issue during Gewog meetings added the Gup.
The Gewog office says there is no clear information on the status of the Local Area Plans despite speaking to the Dzongkhag Tshogdu.
A resident from Kabesa, Lungten Norbu, said that the timber he received as “Kidu” is rotten while waiting to construct a house. “No matter how many governments change, nothing has been happening in our place and we do not understand it,” added Lungten Norbu.
Another resident, Ugyen Choden, said that officials came around and people talked to them regarding the matter, but they have not been acknowledged so far.
People are lamenting on how Kabesa is lagging behind in terms of development despite being closer to Thimphu town.
A resident, Kinley said, “we are not allowed to build anything. As everyone can see, our village is filled with one storied traditional house with no good structure.”
According to the Kawang Gup, residents under LAP two and three in the Gewog were given consent to construct after they signed undertaking letters to not ask for compensation should their structures come in the way of future town plans.
The infrastructure and transport ministry said the Kabesa Structure Plan was approved in 2016.
However, public’s disagreement with the Local Area Plan regarding conversion of wet land halted the implementation of the plan in 2018.
They said the Thimphu Structure Plan 2002-2027 is being reviewed and this is expected to address the Kabesa construction issue. The review will complete by June of this year.
Kinzang Lhadon
Edited by Sherub Dorji
