The Trongsa dzongkhag tshogdu (DT) recently decided to construct a farm road connecting Kela village from Tangsibji.

Although the farm road construction was not included in the 12th Plan, DT members supported the proposal to include it in the Plan through secret ballot.

Agriculture Minister Yeshey Penjor, who attended the DT online, said Nu 7 million (M) has been allocated for the formation cutting of the road.

He asked the dzongkhag administration to start the construction at the earliest with all necessary support.

Work is expected to begin after the paddy harvest.

Meanwhile, residents of 54 households of Kela, who have to walk for more than eight hours to reach the gewog office in Tangsibji or travel via Langthel, Kuengarabten and Trongsa town in vehicles, are happy with the news.

The chiwog is one of the farthest chiwog under Tangsibji gewog.

Villagers said they raised the need of road many times, but never materialised.

The village has a farm road connected with the old route of Langthel, but with the construction of Rephay-Koshala bypass, it has been difficult for the people to avail lift.

 Villagers have to pay around Nu 1,500 if they hire a taxi from the junction of the bypass.

A farmer, Wangdi, said if they have to go to gewog, they have to start before the dawn using flashlights. “It is not possible to travel during the monsoons, as the streams swell.”

Villagers said most of their children are studying at Tsangkha Central School and it’s been difficult to go and meet them.

They also said children had to return to school after reaching the riverside on the old trail, as they could not cross over because of swollen river.

“All the problems will be solved if the village is connected to the gewog with a farm road,” he said.

Another villager, Denkar Lhamo, said survey was conducted three times for road construction before. “If the road is constructed, it will benefit residents of lower Trongsa and Zhemgang too.”

Once the road constructed is completed, travel distance between Tangsibji and Langthel will be shortened by almost 60 kilometres.

She said they would also be able to take their agriculture produce to other dzongkhags like Thimphu to sell.

Meanwhile, the total cost of the road is estimated at Nu 126M, as two bridges have to be constructed.  

Lyonpo Yeshey Penjor said the bypass has the scope to become the secondary East-West National highways, as a road is being constructed between Kheng Khomshar and Selimbi gewog in Mongar.

By Nim Dorji | Trongsa

Edited by Tashi Dema

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