Phurpa Lhamo

The government has not dropped most development activities, including the construction of Lhamoizingkha-Sarpang road and Nganglam hospital, according to Lyonchhen Dr Lotay Tshering.

The Prime Minister was answering Opposition Leader Dorji Wangdi’s queries on the legality of reprioritising 12th Five-Year Plan activities.

Lyonchhen said that projects that were allegedly dropped will actually executed through the central government fund allocation of Nu 50 billion (B).

Lyonchhen also claimed that the work executed for South Thimphu demkhong was in accordance with the Resource Allocation Fund (RAF) with the local government fund.

The Opposition Party raised concerns about the reprioritised and deprioritised activities of the government in a press release earlier this month.

The Opposition Party accused the government of diverting a disproportionate amount of the budget to the Prime Minister’s constituency.




Lyonchhen Dr Lotay Tshering said that Nganglam Hospital has also been part of the government’s pledge.

He added that construction plans for a 20-bed hospital have been upgraded to a 50-bed hospital.

At the National Assembly yesterday, Lyonchhen explained that the local government and the central government had been allocated Nu 50B each.

He added that out of the Nu 50B for the local government, Nu 20B was allocated for the 20 dzongkhags, Nu 20B was for the gewogs, and Nu 10B for the four thromdes.

Lyonchhen said that the projects done in South Thimphu were part of the local government fund in accordance with the RAF.

“Currently the dzongkhag is yet to finish the allocated budget.”

Thimphu has been allocated Nu 2,700 million (M), of which Nu 2,300M has been spent.

As part of the reprioritised activities in South Thimphu, improvements to Khasadrapchu, the Bjemina to Tshaluna road, the Semtokha to Chamgang road, and Genekha road were specified as part of the plan.

Lyonchhen Dr Lotay Tshering said that out of the about 5,500 acres of land in Mewang gewog, around 46 percent belonged to people from 20 dzongkhags.

He added that these improvement activities could address the issues of transportation and high rental charges in Thimphu.

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