LG: Samdrupjongkhar’s newly elected local government (LG) leaders elected it’s chairperson and vice chairperson on October 27.

Dewathang Gup Leki Wangchuk is the new Samdrupjongkhar Dzongkhag Tshogdu (DT) chairperson and Lauri’s mangmi Tenzin is the vice chairperson.

Samdrupjongkhar has nine new gups and two former gups.

The Annual Performance Agreement (APA) for the financial year 2016-2017 was signed between the dzongdag and the newly elected gups for accountability and to meet the targets of this financial year.

Sectors presented the status, policy and the responsibilities of each sector to brief the new gups and mangmis.

Dzongkhag’s planning officer, Ngawang Chophel, reminded each gup on the roles and responsibilities of gups to achieve APA targets. He also informed that the dzongkhag has so far achieved 91 percent of planned development in the 11FYP outlay. He added that budgets requested by different gewogs have been all approved.

“This year, the dzongkhag received Nu 167 million excluding gewog budgets, the highest compared to the last three financial years. This is why we should put in extra effort this time to utilise the budget.”

Budget officer Choki Nima asked DT members to endorse the prioritised activities under the dzongkhag development grant (DDG) of Nu 7 million for Serthi and Langchenphu gewogs, Dewathang hospital and immediate disaster relief activities for all the gewogs.

Pemathang Gup Madhukar Subba, Gomdhar Gup Sonam Tshering and Wangphu Gup Sangay Tenzin, said that there are many activities in their gewogs that require additional budget to carry out and the budget allocated was insufficient.

Vice chairperson Tenzin said that since the DDG has already been allocated for activities, requests will be made to the dzongkhag to distribute the grant equally like the gewog development grant.

Dzongdag Tharchen Lhendup said that the DDG was distributed as per the guidelines but it would be difficult to divide equally.

“And if there are activities that dzongkhag can adjust with other budgets, we would definitely carry out those activities as expressed by the local leaders,” said Tharchen Lhendup.

Yangchen C Rinzin |  Samdrupjongkhar