Weringla Dungkhag in Monggar has been without a Dungpa for four years now. This is even in spite of the Dungkhag getting a new office structure in August this year. Local leaders and people of Gongdu and Silambi Gewogs are requesting the appointment of a Dungpa and relevant officials as soon as possible. Without any officials in the Dungkhag, people have to travel more than 100 kilometres to avail themselves of government services.
The government has spent around Nu 20 M to construct the office and the meeting hall.
Without the human resource machinery to run the office, people remain devoid of the services from the office.
Local leaders say a well-equipped Dungkhag administration will not only ensure timely services but also help monitor the development activities in the Dungkhag.
Weringla Dungkhag Administration looks after Silambi and Gongdu Gewogs which have over 7,000 people.
“After spending a lot of expenditure on the construction, when there is no Drungpa to run the office, we get disheartened. All we can see is an empty office,” said Dorji Wangchuk, Silambi Gup.
“The Dungkhag office is only one or two hours drive away. Whereas, when we have to go to Monggar, we need to travel for at least five hours,” said Tshewang Tobgay, Gongdu Gup.
People of Gongdu and Silambi Gewogs said it is a hassle for them to travel to Monggar especially during monsoon due to the roadblocks. They said this delays them in getting the services on time.
“We have to go to Monggar to get services as there is no Dungpa here. It is expensive to travel to Monggar. During winters, it is not that difficult to travel to Monggar but during summers, we are not able to get the services as the roads get damaged by rain,” said Pema Wangdi, a resident of Nagor.
“When there were Dungpa and staff here, we were able to solve any issues from the Dungkhag office. After the former Dungpa got transferred to Wamrong, we had to get services from the Monggar District Administration. Due to the distance, we are facing problems,” said Nidup Gyeltshen, another resident of Dagsa.
The Monggar District Administration said they have yet to receive any directives from relevant authorities on the matter.
Weringla Dungkhag office was established in 2005 to foster socio-economic development in Gongdu and Silambi Gewogs.
Karma Wangdi, Monggar
Edited by Tshering Zam
