Locals in Norboogang Gewog in Samtse have helped the government save more than Nu.1 million by using the gewog’s money collected as tax in finishing the construction of a farm road.
The construction of the 3.27 kilometres farm road in Lamjumsa was supposed to cost the government Nu.1.8 million. The villagers along with Norboogang Gewog office decided to take up the construction and completed the farm road with just over Nu.500,000.
It took them little over three months to complete.
Norboogang’s Gup, Kunga Wangdi, said they had initially put up a proposal for a farm road in the 11th Five Year Plan. “But it did not come through.” He said people kept demanding for a road. “We started to use the money kept under the Gewog’ current deposit account – which are basically people’s money collected as tax…”
Kunga Wangdi said absence of a farm road it was difficult for the villagers to sell their agriculture produce. “So we went ahead in constructing the farm road on our own”.
The money was mostly spent on fuelling the excavator that the Samtse Dzongkhag provided to the community.
“…We can also transport and sell our agriculture produce outside the village. And it has become easier for us to travel to health centres if you are sick,” said a villager from Norboogang, Indra Maya Ghalley.
Another villager, Dhan Bahadur Rai, said they are starting the poultry farm and piggery. “We expect do better since we have a farm road now.
The Lamjumsa Farm Road is expected to benefit over 100 households in the locality where most of them grow cardamom and mandarin.
The farm road was formally opened on Tuesday.
