Established more than a decade ago, the Community Centre of Trong Gewog in Zhemgang has almost ceased to benefit the residents. It has been several months without a facilitator at the centre to provide the services to the people. Community Centers were established across the country to increase efficiency and transparency in public service delivery through the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs).
Today, the centre established as a bridge between the government and the people opens only on the last week of the month. The rest of the time it is under lock and key.
“It used to benefit us a lot, especially people coming from far-off places. But now, without the community centre services, we are facing a lot of problems,” said Sonam Tshering, the Tama-Berti Tshogpa in Trong Gewog.
Similarly, the Tshanglajong Tshogpa, Tashi says the closure has affected people of all the chiwogs in the gewog: “Online services like census registration, forestry clearance and security clearance have to be processed from here. It is a very serious problem out here and we are told that the Gewog authority has written to the concerned agency.”
“If the government plans to send a new operator, we need a regular one who can serve our people at all times. The existing one who comes from Nangkor Gewog is just a temporary measure and she comes only at the end of the month which is not serving our purposes,” added Norbula, the Trong-Dangkhar Tshogpa.
Gewog officials say the problem started after the previous facilitator of the community centre resigned from the job, and no replacement was sent to the gewog.
“Upon the public request on this pertinent issue, the gewog has written twice to the concerned authority for a new facilitator. However, we haven’t received any response to date and it’s already been about seven months now,” said Dorji Wangchuk, the Trong Mangmi.
An official from the National CSI Development Bank says the recruitment of a new facilitator is underway. The National CSI Development Bank is the parent organisatiion of the community centres. However, it is expected to take some time. The official also said not many people make use of the centre even if a regular facilitator is stationed there.
Until a regular facilitator is found, residents of Trong Gewog have to either visit the government offices in person or wait for the Nangkor Gewog’s facilitator at the end of the month for any online services.
Pema Samdrup, Zhemgang
Edited by Sonam
