Yangyel Lhaden

The political candidates of Drukjeygang-Tseza constituency pledged to bring prosperity to Dagana through improved infrastructure, education, agriculture, and public service delivery, among others.

Candidates of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) in the common forums that began on December 14 made specific constituency and Dagana-related promises along with the party’s manifestos, with a stronger focus on roads. 

For Dagana dzongkhag, both parties promise road improvements. 

BTP’s Nima Tshering pledges to widen the Sunkosh-Dagana highway to promote tourism, construct and blacktop all roads connecting gewogs, chiwogs, and village roads, and improve the road from Kalizhingkha to Budichhu via Khebisa, Patala, and Tingsibi, among others.

Nima Tshering also pledges to boost tourism by constructing an eco-trail from Dagana to Thimphu via Daga La. He also promised to attract tourists by initiating projects such as birding, wildlife, and watchtowers.

PDP’s candidate Sonam Dorji pledged to improve roads by widening and blacktopping Peling to Kamichhu on the Dagana-Wangdue road. He also pledged to construct a bailey bridge each over Sukosh, Tshangkha, and Dagana to Sirutar on the Tsirang and Wangdue highway, and to handover the road maintenance to the Department of Surface Transport. 

Sonam Dorji said the people of Dagana have seen the livelihood and economic improvements hydropower can bring. “We will construct hydropower projects like the Sunkosh mega project and Dagachhu hydro project II.”

Nima Tshering also pledged that BTP would serve the country free of corruption and dedication. “The service delivery will be enhanced and made accessible to all.”

For the youth, he said that the Preliminary Examination requirement for Royal Civil Service Examinations (RCSC) would be discontinued.

“All graduates appearing for RCSC will be provided free coaching classes since youths belonging to poor backgrounds cannot afford it. We’ll also introduce an education Bill to improve the quality of education,” Nima Tshering said.

Sonam Dorji pledged to improve education by reinstating central schools with one central school a gewog and reviewing individual work plans in consultation with the RCSC. 

Sonam Dorji acknowledged the challenge of providing one doctor for every gewog and proposed combining a few gewogs to share a doctor or determining allocation based on the population size of the gewog. “PDP will also provide health services, including medical examinations and blood tests, at patients’ homes for the elderly and persons with disabilities.”

For agriculture, Nima Tshering pledges to construct a cold storage facility centrally located in Drujeygang and increase commercial farming in the dzongkhag by establishing collection points in each gewog. “We will provide horticulture training and hybrid seeds to increase orange production and facilitate youth, cooperatives, farmer groups, and retirees to engage in commercial farming,” he said.

Sonam Dorji said that PDP would once again provide power tillers for farmers, but this time, considering past experiences, they would be provided on a cost-sharing basis, with the government offering interest-free loans along with training for farmers. “We will also explore the international market to export your produce,” Sonam Dorji said.

Both candidates pledged to provide chain-link fencing to address human-wildlife conflict in the dzongkhag.

The last common forum for the Drukjeygang-Tseza constituency was held yesterday in Karna gewog.