The country’s oldest town, Gola (bazaar) under Tashichholing Dungkhag in Samtse, received Lagthrams or Land Ownership Certificates almost after 55 years. Samtse Dzongkhag handed over Lagthrams to 49 plot owners, today even though the Local Area Plan was approved in May, this year.
Considered the first ‘town’ in Bhutan, serving four gewogs under Tashichholing Dungkhag, most of the plot owners earlier did not own a proper documented land ownership certificates. The government in 1993 stopped collecting taxes as the plan to move the Gola town was underway. However, the plan did not materialize.
Although there are total of 62 registered plots in Gola town; only 49 plots were issued Lagthrams while 11 of the plots have been earmarked as ‘Pending Case’ due to issues related to transfer of ownership.
Two plots have been considered as “Not Fine” plots by the National Land Commission due to other reasons.