Business communities of Mendrelgang in Tsirang are not happy with poor business over the years. The community also wants basic development infrastructures at their area, the town being Tsirang’s satellite town.
The town is located on the way to Barshong Gewog. Once a bustling town but today only a handful of people from its nearby places visit the area to buy some essential items. The town has around seven shops and few private residents nearby. They have been in the town for the last two decades.
“Now the road connectivity is everywhere, we are grateful but it also affected our business badly. Before I used to get around Nu 3000 to 5000 from sales but now I hardly get Nu 500 in a day. Many years have been passed after declaring here as a satellite town. And political parties have promised to develop the town but still, it is left as a promise only,” said Pema Jamtsho, a Shopkeeper at the Mendrelgang in Tsirang.
“We bring all kinds of commodities for sale but not many customers visit here. Our goods get expired and we have to throw it. Before, the town used to be a business centre for nearby gewogs and villages. But now the situation has changed with road connectivity everywhere,” added Dorji Lethro, also a Shopkeeper at Mendrelgang.
The town has been declared as a satellite town a few years ago. But the town doesn’t have any basic amenities as of now. Residents here are expecting for basic infrastructure developments in the area with a hope to improve their business.
“I hope our business will improve if the government develops basic infrastructures here. If facilities are developed here, all business people will set up shops here and more customers will come here. Today, without any basic amenities here, people have set up shops everywhere they wish and that affects our business,” said Sangay Wangdi, a Shopkeeper at Mendrelgang.
For this, Damphu Municipal Office has plans to develop basic infrastructures for the town in the 12th Five Year Plan.
“We have plans to develop the town in the 12th Five Year Plan. But we could not execute the works in the first and second year due to budget constraint. However, we are expecting to connect safe drinking water, better road connectivity, streetlights and vegetable sheds during the remaining years of the 12th Five Year Plan,” said Tshewang Tenzin, the Principal Engineer for Damphu Municipal Office in Tsirang.
The basic requirement for satellite town includes safe drinking water, road connectivity, streetlights and vegetable shed.
The satellite town is located at around 19 kilometres away from Damphu.
Pema Tshewang
