With the Kholongchhu hydropower project yet to resume its work, businesses in Trashi Yangtse have started shutting down. From snooker halls to hotels to futsal business, all spheres of the business community have been affected after the project’s joint-venture model was dropped last year.
The business owners in Trashi Yangtse have been facing a dearth of customers for almost a year now.
Business owners said from around 85 business entities, about seven shops were closed.
Today, the business owners who are still operating the businesses are hoping that the Druk Green Power Corporation will resume the works at the earliest.
It was learnt that until last year, there were around 200 officials working for the project. But today, only around 30 of them are left.
“I used to earn around 3000 to4000 ngultrum a day when the Kholongchhu project was operational. But after it was stopped, I don’t get much now. I earn only around 800 to 1500 ngultrum a day now. We are expecting the project to resume soon. We heard in BBS last time that the project will resume within 2 to 3 months,” said Ganga Sherpa, a hotelier.
“Before we used to get around 1000 ngultrum in a day and now it has decreased. We hardly earn about Nu 500 in a day now. We used to earn better when the project’s work was running. Now, we don’t have the project and the number of customers has also decreased,” said Tshering Choden, Snooker Hall Operator.
“I have not repaid my loan even once. The BDBL has provided a grace period of six months but it has been more than one year now. If the project resumes then I think it will be better for me. I will have more customers and be able to repay my loan,” said Pema Tashi Yangcha, the owner of a Futsal Ground.
The Kholongchhu project started as a Joint-Venture but the model was dropped last year as the project was not progressing well.
Today, the Druk Green Power Corporation is the 100 per cent shareholder of the company. In an earlier interview with BBS in February, the corporation said they would resume the work after three to four months.
Sonam Darjay, Kanglung
Edited by Tshering Zam
