The Road Act and also the Land Act do not allow construction of houses within 50 feet from the centre of the highway. In the recent Dagana Dzongkhag Tshogdu, local leaders said not all gewogs respect this rule.
According to Tsangkha Gup, Dorji, while some gewogs do not allow construction of houses within 50 feet from the centre of the highway, others ignore the rule.
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“Most local leaders argue that it is not our job to monitor. They say the responsibility lies with the road department. This needs to be clarified. The rule has to be implemented uniformly,” says Dorji, Gup, Tsangkha Gewog.
He added he is not referring to the houses that were built before the rule came into place.
Meanwhile, Dagana Dzongda Tenzin Thinley said the responsibility also lies with the gewog leaders.
The Tshogdu Chairperson, Lhawang Dorji, said the issue is a contentious one.
“People challenge us all the time. They tell us that it is their land and the right lies with them. And we have to keep explaining to them that it is forbidden by the law. I have worked as Gup for a long time now and the issue always crops up. Maybe, the distance should be made shorter,” he says.
