Yangyel Lhaden
A total of 1,302 voters of Tsirang listened for nine days at the common forums to the pledges of the two contesting candidates each, from People’s Democratic Party and Bhutan Tendrel Party, at the on-going campaign for the General Election.
The common forum in Tsirang concluded on December 27 at Kilkhorthang gewog.
Of the 13,157 registered voters in Sergithang-Tsirangtoed constituency, 523 voters, comprising 345 males and 178 females, attended the common forum. In the primary election, 2,546 voted through postal ballots and 5,213 through EVM.
Representing Bhutan Tendrel Party from Sergithang-Tsirangtoed, Gopal Thapa, 56, an educator by profession, pledged to construct motorable roads to improve connectivity between gewogs and chiwogs.
Contesting against him, the People’s Democratic Party’s Lhakpa Tshering Tamang, with a background of working in the private sector, pledged to blacktop road in all big chiwogs, carry out base course of all farm roads, build new farm roads and bridges as required and entrust maintenance of all roads at gewog levels to the Department of Surface Transport.
Both the candidates found common grounds in their pledge to solve the water shortage problem in Tsirang, as well as to improve education, economy, and on rural development.
PDP pledged to construct or improve irrigation channels in all chiwogs and provide safe drinking water to every household in all gewogs, while BTP pledged to address water shortages in Dzomlingjor and Pelrithang chiwogs of Gossaling gewog, Tsirangtoed school, and the catchment community.
Whereas BTP focused their pledge on developing Relangthang under Sergithang gewog as an industrial hub, the PDP pledged to support agriculture, and access to finance for high-breed cows.
Meanwhile at Kilkhortang-Mendrelgang constituency, 779 voters, 513 male and 266 female, attended the common forums.
Bhutan Tendrel Party’s candidate Dhan Bahadur Tamang pledged for better public service delivery, improve market for agricultural produce, and better options for treating drug users. He also pledged to provide adequate medicines and health personnel in all chiwogs, among other initiatives.
The People’s Democratic Party’s candidate Kamal Bahadur Gurung pledged to construct one Early Childhood Care and Development Centre in each chiwog with classes up to three, make Tsirang a tourism and sports capital, and create job opportunities for all, among others.
Both candidates pledged to improve roads to attract tourists and make selling agricultural produce easier, open a college in Tsirang, and construct a helipad in every gewog.
The dzongkhag has 27,037 registered voters, which accounts for 5.4 percent of the total registered voters, 497,058, in the country. During the recent primary round, 16,023 voted, making up five percent of the total voter turnout.