Tshering Namgyal | Mongar
Block grants, which range from Nu 10 million (M) to Nu 17M depending on the size of the gewogs, are not enough to carry out construction of critical infrastructures like of bridges.
This was raised at the recently concluded Dzongkhag Tshogdu (DT) session of Mongar.
Balam Gup Tshewang Dorji said that the gewog centre (GC) road was severely affected by the recent flash flood. The gup said that maintenance works, including the installation of hume pipes costing more than Nu 100,000 annually, were proven ineffective.
The only solution to the problem, the gup said, was to construct concrete bridges.
“We understand that the government is facing budget constraints, but the need to improve the road is genuine. It would be difficult for the gewog to manage the budget of Nu 7.5 million (M), which is required for construction of the bridges, from the block grant.”
If the block grant was to be used for construction of the bridges, then little would be left for other activities, he added.
Sherimung Gup Dorji also appraised the DT about the need to build a bridge at Khadrak, about 18 kilometres away from gewog centre towards Yarab.
The bridge, he said, would benefit not only the 111 households of Senakhar and Jabgang chiwogs but also the increasing number of tourists who visit Aja Ney every year.
More than 3,000 domestic tourists visited Aja Ney last year.
Those travelling to Yarab use small vehicles to pass through the wooden bridge at Khadrak. The local leader stressed on the need to lay Granular Sub-base (GSB) on the road and build a permanent bridge.
He said that it was beyond the gewog’s capacity to build the bridge with the block grant of Nu 15M.
Gongdue gup Tshewang Tobgyel stressed on the need to blacktop the GC road between Daksa (Gongdue Gewog Center) and Werringla Drungkhag.
Local leaders from other gewogs also raised similar issues.
The DT resolved that blacktopping of the Daksa-Werringla road and building a concrete bridge in Balam gewog would be proposed in the 13th plan.