People in the rural community of Gelegphu and Chhuzanggang wants a separate site along the Mao river bed to extract sand and stone. They said buying sand and stone at the revised rate from the Natural Resources Development Corporation Limited (NRDCL) is expensive.
A truckload of sand now costs 1300 ngultrum including the loading charge at the source. It used to cost only Nu 650 prior to the revision. The Natural Resource Pricing Committee of the NRDCL revised the rate of sand and stones for rural construction in July last year.
Similarly, a truckload of stone now costs more than Nu 2000 up from Nu 1200. This rate the rural people say is expensive and no different from the rate for commercial use.
The commercial rate for a truckload of sand is a little over Nu 1400 and close to Nu 2300 for a truckload of stone.
“In the past, we had to pay only Nu 2500 for a truckload of sand and stone and it would be delivered till our doorstep. Now we have to pay Nu 3500. It is expensive. It would benefit the people if we can buy at the rural rate and not commercial rate,” said Nil Maya Dhimal from Geelgphu Gewog.
“The NRDCL facilitated loading support at a cost of Nu 400 initially. And then it was revised to 500 and to Nu 600. Now at the revised rate a truckload of sand cost Nu 1255 and have to pay Nu 2088 for a truckload of stone,” added Ugyen Wangchuk, Gelegphu Gup.
However, the NRDCL office says the rural communities are charged only the operational costs.
An official said NRDCL and the forest official facilitate loading at the source to prevent illegal dredging of riverbed materials. He added, sand was nationalized and collection of sand from private land should also be routed through NRDCL.
The local leaders of the communities raised the issue even during the Dzongkhag Tshogdue in May this year. The Dzongkhag Tshogdue had then asked the Gelegphu and Chhuzanggang Gewogs and the NRDCL office to resolve the issue among themselves.
Karma Wangdi
