The long-awaited electric vehicle charging station in Zhemgang has been faced with another obstacle. The station’s construction works have been found to be inferior and are being rectified causing further delay to its already overdue deadline. The EV charging station in Zhemgang district was supposed to be ready by August of 2022.
36-year-old Sangay Rinchen is an electric cab driver and frequently visits the district for business. He says he was excited when he heard the news that a new charging station would be opened in Zhemgang. But he has been left disappointed as he still continues to charge his electric vehicle at private homes and shops.
“Charging stations in all the dzongkhags are complete but I don’t know why Zhemgang is behind. Whenever I reach here, it has remained in the same condition. I think the EV charging machines were installed but could not be made operational.” said Sangay Rinchen, EV Taxi Driver.
Minjurla, a resident in Dakphil said, “Repeated rectification works will incur extra expenses. If it had been planned well, it would not have been like this. Now, who will be held accountable for these lapses, because works have been carried out repeatedly.”
At the moment, works are being carried out to strengthen the foundation of the station. It is being done by the Department of Surface Transport who took over from the Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority in August last year. Officials told BBS that for this, the EV chargers and cable wires have also been removed and will need reinstallation.
They said that most of the expenses are being covered by the money from the project’s initial allocation which was not released to the contractor due to the poor work quality. The contractor was terminated in July.
Officials added that they expect to complete the works by the end of December, after which it will be handed over to the Bhutan Power Cooperation.
The construction of the EV charging station was started in early 2022 at the cost of 2 million ngultrum.
Pema Samdrup
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
