Trongsa and Zhemgang are the only two Dzongkhags in the country that did not utilise the Dzongkhag Development grant fully during the financial year 2016-2017.
A grant of Nu 7m is provided to all the Dzongkhags every year to carry out development activities to strengthen economy and generate income, employment and benefit the community. The other 18 Dzongkhags utilised the entire grant.
Of the Nu 7m, Trongsa Dzongkhag used nearly Nu 6m to carry out 19 activities. Zhemgang utilised a little over Nu 6m for the four activities the Dzongkhag had carried out.
Meanwhile officials from Zhemgang Dzongkhag said some of the development works are still in progress.
“According to our plan we have estimated about Nu 200,000 worth of activities, but in the process of tendering they quoted less so we did not use the entire fund,” said the Dzongkhag Engineer, Kintu.
As for Trongsa, the Dzongkhag Finance officer Sangay Chojay said underutilisation of the grant is not a big issue as it did not affect any activities in the Dzongkhag. “I don’t find it mandatory to utilize all the funds from the DDG,” he said. “For example we carried out many planned activities from the savings accumulated and we have completed all the works successfully.”
The unused amount was returned to the Government.
