Sarpang will have a proper Dzong by next year. The construction of the new dzong is progressing well after the COVID-19 pandemic. As of now, close to 70 per cent of the work has been completed. The construction works started in 2017 and were scheduled to complete by the end of this year. But it got postponed till the end of next year due to delays caused by the pandemic.
The construction of the exterior structures of the District administration block has been completed. Painting works are underway currently.
Works are ongoing to construct the Rabdey building which can accommodate 150 heads. It is expected to complete by the end of June this year.
“The District Administration has five blocks. We have almost completed the partitioning work of the offices. We have started ceiling works, and have yet to install telephone lines, power lines and a fire alarm system. We have somewhat started these works. For the administrative block, we have completed around 90 per cent of the works. For Rabdey, we hope to complete exterior structures including the construction of Utse and Kuenrey by the end of the financial year in June this year,” said Sangay Kuenga, the Project Manager of the Sarpang Dzong Construction.
He added that the project is expediting the works so that the district’s administrative offices can move inside the new dzong by the end of next year.
Remaining works such as the construction of Tendrelthang, Neykhang, and boundary wall and site development are to be carried out in the second phase due to time and budget constraints.
“In the first phase, we plan to move the district administrative office and the Rabdey inside the dzong. In the second phase, we will be working on developing Tendrelthang, Neykhang, boundary wall and parking. It is not like we have completely taken out these works from our master plan. It is being deferred due to budget and time constraints,” added the Project Manager.
Sarpang Dzong is being constructed on an area spanning over 11 acres. It is estimated to cost a billion Ngultrum with fund support from the Indian Government.
220 people including Bhutanese and foreign labourers are working at the construction site.
Karma Wangdi, Sarpang
Edited by Phub Gyem
