For more than three decades, some 31 shopkeepers of Samdrupchhoeling Dungkhag in Samdrup Jongkhar lived on government land. The land is finally theirs now.
His Majesty The King granted 5.5 decimal of land each to the shopkeepers who until then lived in the constant fear of being evicted.
The shopkeepers heaved a sigh of relief as they received the lagthram or landowner certificate in June this year.
“We have been staying in temporary houses constructed on government land. But now, we are all relieved, after we received land kidu from His Majesty the King,” Tenzin Chogey, one of the shopkeepers, said.
“We could not construct a proper house because we were living on government land. We are thankful to His Majesty for granting us land kidu,” Kelzang, another shopkeeper, said.
However, the present town lies in a flood risk zone and the dungkhag has already identified a site for the new township development.
The dungkhag administration has completed internal road and electrification works in the new township, which will benefit almost 7000 people in the dungkhag.