Residents of Bartsha_Namgyalgang and Jurugang of Kana Gewog in Dagana have been requesting to constitute the two chiwogs as a separate gewog or to club them under the nearby Gesarling Gewog for the last few years. Residents say it is challenging for them to travel to Kana Gewog Center to access services and to attend important gewog meetings. The Drujeygang_Tseza constituency’s former Member of Parliament pledged to form a new gewog merging the two chiwogs or to merge them with Gesarling Gewog during the 2018’s parliamentary elections. With the pledge still on the paper, people are once again requesting the relevant authorities to look into the matter.
Today, residents of Bartsha-Namgyalgang chiwog have to cover around 120 kilometres if they travel via Gesarling Gewog to reach the Kana Gewog Centre. They say, it takes them at least three and a half hours to reach the gewog center. There is also an alternate route from Jurugang chiwog. But residents say the road condition is not as good as the one via Gesarling Gewog.
Sangay, a resident said “When we cannot attend meetings, we remain unaware of the developmental activities taking place in the gewog and also we lack the knowledge on the latest rules and regulations concerning the nation. As a result, we are unable to stay ourselves updated with the latest happenings. Travelling to the distant gewog centre is the biggest problem for the chiwog.”
Rigzin Jamtsho, another resident said “On many occasions, the meetings are already halfway by the time we reach the gewog centre. As a result, we don’t understand what the meeting is all about. Getting vehicles on time to reach the gewog centre from the chiwog is also an issue. Transportation charges are high because of the distance between the chiwog and the gewog office.”
Today, residents say, they have to pay around Nu 3,500 while hiring a vehicle for a round trip.
Rigzin Jamtsho said “We only earn a modest income from sale of cardamom. Otherwise, we cannot even afford to buy ‘Doma.’ It is a trouble for us to reserve vehicles to go to the gewog office.”
“If the gewog office is nearby, every resident will be able to meet local government leaders like Gup and Mangmi, and even gewog administrative officer and work in close consultation with them. This will also let them make the necessary corrections if something goes wrong. But today, it is a challenge for people of my chiwog while visiting the gewog center for official works. Sometimes, they have to return without completing the works when local government leaders are out of the station,” said Suresh Rai, a resident.
Acknowledging the difficulties due to the distance, Kana Gup said the gewog administration avoids calling the people from the chiwog for meetings and other official gatherings to save time and cost. The Gup told BBS that the local government officials instead have been visiting the chiwog to provide services whenever required.
“One of the challenges is to refuel the gewog’s bolero when visiting the chiwog to render services. This is because the fuel budget for all gewogs is same irrespective of its size and pattern of settlements in the gewogs. So, it is very difficult to adjust budget to refuel the pool vehicle. Another thing is it affects people of four other chiwogs when we close gewog office and visit the chiwog to provide services. But we cannot neglect since the chiwog is also a part of the gewog,” said Chador, Kana Gup.
Drujeyagng_Tseza constituency’s former Member of Parliament Jurmi Wangchuk, over a telephone interview, said he pledged to form a separate gewog for the two chiwogs considering the long distance between the two chiwogs and the gewog center adding that the two chiwogs also have the required population size to be constituted as a separate gewog.
“After I won the election, I called representatives from the two chiwogs to Thimphu and fixed meetings with the former Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition Party, and even with the Home Minister to discuss the matter. After the meetings, the former government committed to designate a separate gewog or merge the chiwogs with Gesarling Gewog. So, that is what I did and I am sure the incumbent member of parliament will continue the task to make it happen.”
The need for a separate gewog or to club the chiwogs with Gesarling Gewog was also discussed in one of the Dzongkhag Tshogdu sessions.
BBS couldn’t travel to Jurugang chiwog but the chiwog Tshogpa, over the telephone, shared residents there also face similar hardships and challenges while travelling to the gewog centre.
The Tshogpa said it takes them almost three hours to reach the gewog centre from the chiwog. People from the two chiwogs are now pinning their hopes on the current government to consider at least merging their chiwogs with Gesarling Gewog if designating them as a separate gewog is impossible.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Phub Gyem