Bajo town saw promise of development and growth with the coming of mega-projects like the Punatsangchhu Hydropower project. But this progress appears to have been nipped in the bud.
The construction of the PHPA1 colony will be completed by 2014. Located in Bjimthanka under Tshogom gewog in Wangdue Phodrang, the colony will have 540 units. This colony has also been giving landlords in Bajo town sleepless nights. Landlords worry about losing their tenants who are mostly PHPA1 employees.
“We really worry about the PHPA staff moving to their colony after the construction is complete. We were happy that we had tenants from PHPA, but now I worry,” said a house owner, Rinchen Khandu.
Another house owner, Chagay, said there is no use having a building if there is no one to rent to. “We heard PHPA 1 has constructed a colony for their staff, and that the staff will move there soon.”
Most landlords of Bajo town have loans on their houses. They now worry if they would be able to pay loans once they lose their tenants.
“We have a loan of Nu.7 million and pay 70,000 monthly to the banks. The loan is to be cleared within 20 years. If the PHPA staff shift to the colony, we are sure to face problem,” said Nala, also a house owner.
The landlords say they had requested the government to not construct houses for the staff, and that the government had also promised not to construct a colony till the completion of the PHPA project.
“The government had asked us to build houses as big projects were coming. We were told that no colony would be constructed if there were enough buildings for the staff. So, within two years, 131 buildings came up,” said yet another house owner, Rinchen Khandu.
More than Nu.1,500 million has to be spent on the PHPA1 colony. The colony will have facilities like schools, Basic Health Unit, and guest houses.
