Chimi Dema | Dagana

Considering the travel risks for dzongkhag tshogdu (DT) members this monsoon, Dagana dzongkhag, for the first time endorsed its budget proposal for the financial year 2020-2021 through a video conference on July 30.

The dzongkhag tshogdu (DT) committee also postponed the session on other agendas until the end of the monsoon. The eighth DT was supposed to take place on July 30 to 31.

The recent roadblock at Sonamja on the Jumja-Raidak highway has cut off access for officials from far-flung gewogs like Karmaling, Lhamoidzingkha and Nichula under Lhamoidzingkha drungkhag.

A temporary log bridge is being constructed for light and medium vehicles.

While major blocks at two sites were cleared last week on the Sunkosh-Dagana highway, dzongkhag officials said that it was still risky for members from nearby gewogs to travel given unfavourable weather conditions.

In addition, it was also intended to avoid public gatherings in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said.

Meanwhile, the virtual meeting chaired by the DT chairperson, Kana Gup Lhawang Dorji and attended by gewog and dzongkhag officials along with the dzongkhag finance committee endorsed a budget of Nu 295.533 million (M) for this fiscal year (FY).

Among the sectors, the engineering sector was allocated the highest budget of Nu 97M for the fiscal year. Dagana planning officer, Sonam Jamtsho said the sector has many spillover activities from the last fiscal year.

For this fiscal year, some of the major activities under engineering sector include blacktopping of Khebisa gewog centre road and construction of farm road at Dorona Choongwa chiwog in Dorona gewog. More than Nu 22M has been allocated for the two projects.

Of the Nu 31M allocated for the health sector, Nu 9M was for the construction of a new primary health centre in Karmaling gewog.

One of the major activities in the agriculture sector, allocated Nu 60M, is the construction of a renewable natural resources centre in Dorona, Tsangkha and Tsendagang gewogs with an allocated budget of about Nu 10M.

Apart from the budget endorsement, Dzongdag Phintsho Choeden used the virtual platform to remind gewog officials to remain vigilant and have Covid-19 precautionary measures in place in their respective gewogs.

Advertisement