Thirteen households of Dolepchen Chiwog under Lokchhina Gewog in Chhukha have been cultivating land that belongs to the government for decades. These villagers are worried that they will become landless, if the government decides to take back the land.
A 50-year-old, Chandra Rai, is one of them. He was born and brought up in Dolepchen. Today he is cultivating the land his forefathers have been cultivating for decades. But the land does not belong to him. “I am worried if I can pass on the land to my children,” he said.
Like Chandra, the 12 other households have been making a living by growing oranges, cardamom and ginger on the land that does not belong to them. “We would be grateful if the government could provide the land we are cultivating as kidu,” said one of the villagers.
The gewog office on their part had verified and forwarded the issue to the dzongkhag office last year, after which the dzongkhag officials visited the village.
Chhukha Dzongrab, Pema Dorji, who is also the dzongkhag’s kidu focal person, said, after the visit, the issue was immediately forwarded to the Gyalpoi Zimpoen’s office.
