Residents of Trong Gewog in Zhemgang are eagerly awaiting the takeover of the community centres by the Gewog Administration. This is because their centre currently remains locked and does not provide any service to the public. Community Centers were established across the country to increase efficiency and transparency in public service delivery through the use of information and communications technologies (ICT).
It has been about two years since the Trong Community Centre located at Tingtibi has remained locked.
After its facilitator left in 2022, the centre functioned for a few months with the help of the facilitator from another gewog. It would open for a week every month. But it has been more than a year since that too has stopped.
People say that without the community centre, availing themselves of services has become tiresome again.
“It is very difficult for us right now. We are grateful to the government for establishing the community centre because it greatly benefited us. However, with the centre now closed, we have to travel to the dzongkhag office to obtain any service,” said Sherub, a resident of Berti.
“We had discussions in the past Gewog Tshogde sessions, but nothing has happened so far. We do not know what the problem is. Now if we want anything such as a census registration copy, we have to travel to the dzongkhag office and for that, we have to spend about Nu 5,000 to 6,000,” said Tashi, Tshanglajong–Zurphai Tshogpa, Trong.
Of the eight gewogs in Zhemgang, only the community centre in Trong does not have a facilitator.
Meanwhile, the Dzongkhag Tshogdu Chairperson says they made a request for a facilitator in 2022 but there was no response.
“During the second session of the Dzongkhag Tshogdu meeting, following a letter from the Gewog Tshogde, we decided to notify the concerned agencies. However, they did not send a facilitator or provide a proper response,” said Wangay, DT Chairperson, Zhemgang.
Residents and some officials claim there is also confusion with the management of the community centre. They shared the centre was managed by the Bhutan Post, then the Bhutan Development Bank and later by the National CSI Development Bank. Today, there is no one managing it.
The Community Centre provides all kinds of services ranging from census registration to obtaining timber and trade permits.
Meanwhile, gewog officials in Zhemgang told BBS that they are waiting for instructions from the government to take over the management of the community centres.
Pema Samdrup, Zhemgang
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
