The construction of a football ground for Tashiding Lower Secondary School in Dagana has been stalled due to insufficient budget. The budget allocated for the construction was Nu. 1.2 million. Residents say the football ground is smaller than the initial plan. They insist that it should be constructed as per the plan.
“The problem is that the ground is not as per the plan. If the ground is constructed as per the map, we don’t have any problem. All we want is a bigger ground for our children,” said Ap Tobgay, a local resident.
Another local resident, D.B Goley, said that the school is centrally located and there are plans to upgrade the school in future. “So if the football ground is constructed as per the plan by the contractor, we do not have to request the government to expand the football ground in the future,” he added.
The contractor cited improper planning and budget estimation as the reason for the ground being small. He said as per the contract agreement, the cutting height of the ground should not be more than six meters.
“If the cutting height is maintained at six metres, then the ground will be the size of a volleyball ground. Since it is on a slope, it’s difficult to construct the required size of the ground. People are asking us to construct it bigger but we cannot do that because the budget is insufficient,” said the contractor, J.B Tamang, adding that he is just following the Dzonkhag’s instructions.
In the past, people living in the vicinity of the school gave their land for the construction of the school. Once again, they are willing to give their land for the construction of the football ground.
“We are willing to give our land for the construction of the football ground too but Dzongkhag says they cannot take it. I don’t know why? I think the ground should be constructed as per the plan. Later on people might not give land for the expansion of the football ground,” said Karma Dechen Chogyal, a local resident.
The Dzongkhag education officials saidthe budget for the construction of the ground has been finished. They said a committee will visit the site to resolve the issue and the matter will be discussed with the people. The deadline to complete the construction is April this year.
