Chimi Dema | Tsirang  

Dagana Dzongkhag Tshogdu’s disciplinary committee in its investigation report cleared the Tsendagang gup of the corruption charges a villager filed against him.

The committee reported that the closure and re-opening of the farm road in the vicinity of Norphel Bricks Manufacturing Factory in Tsendagang gewog was gewog tshogde’s (GT) decision.

The committee also reported that the gewog tshogde took the decision in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The chairperson of the committee and Goshi gup, Tandin said that the movement, however, is allowed only after office hours and on weekends, and in emergencies going by the GT minutes.

On November 13, a resident of Norbuzingkha chiwog in Tsendagang gewog filed a written complaint to the dzongkhag administration alleging the gup of corrupt practices and misuse of power.

The complainant, the owner of Norphel Bricks Manufacturing Factory in the chiwog, alleged that the 1.72-kilometre farm road to the factory, which was closed in April following the GT’s decision was reopened in favour of a new businessperson in November.

He stated that the gewog administration closed the road reasoning disturbances from the factory to the nearby gewog centre.

The committee initiated the investigation after the dzongkhag administration forwarded the case to the dzongkhag tshogdu on November 26.

The chairperson said that the complainant operated the brick factory in partnership with the landowner in the past. “The machinery in the factory were also installed by the landowner.”

“According to the agreement between them, the landowner overtook the factory as the complainant failed to share the profit within the given deadline,” he said.

The complainant, however, alleged that despite the 10-year agreement, the landowner in collaboration with the gup last year, asked him to relocate the factory claiming that he wants to construct a house,” he said.

“The landowner later initiated a bricks business instead of a house. The gewog administration supported reopening of the road for his factory,” he said.

The chairperson also said that although the complainant was given the approval to start a new factory in a temporary shed by the gewog administration, he did not avail clearance for relocation.

Meanwhile, the complainant said that none of the disciplinary committee members has come to him for the investigation.

On this, the chairperson said that the investigation was done according to the directive from the DT.

The complainant also said that he is still waiting for the response from the agencies concerned.

The DT Thrizin Lhawang Dorji said that the investigation report has been forwarded to the dzongkhag administration and did not share any concrete decision on the findings.

The dzongkhag officials, however, said that the dzongkhag administration doesn’t have the authority to take action on the report.

“We have forwarded the case and the DT has the full authority to decide on the findings going by the Local Governance Act,” Dagana Dzongdag Phintsho Choeden said.  “The copy of the report has been shared with us for only information.”