Nim Dorji | Bumthang

The people of Ngalhakhang in Chhoekhor, Bumthang are unhappy with the condition of their farm road.

The road, constructed in 2019, was not fully completed and handed to the community.

The road is not pliable and people have not benefited from it.

The 2km road connects more than 25 acres of dry land belonging to eight households at Kargang with the village.

Villagers say that despite submitting many requests to the gewog administration nothing has happened so far.

Gewog administration had allocated Nu 1.5M for the road.

Formation cutting was done but work such as installation of hume pipe and soling is yet to be executed.

“During the monsoon, water and debris from the road makes my land marshy and is not cultivatable,” Yeshey Nidup added, a villager.

The residents say that if the road is completed, it would help them to bring their farm produce to the village from their fields.

The people still carry wheat and buckwheat from field to village.

Another villager, Jampel Wangmo, said that they have written to the gewog office twice. “Our plea was never heard by the official. We feel ignored.”

It was reflected in the Annual Audit Report 2020 that Chhoekhor gewog administration had made excess payment of Nu 0.917M for the construction of the farm road from Ngalhakhag to Kargang, executed by the community contractor.

The excess payment had occurred due to payment for unexecuted works of providing and laying hand-packed soling, edging, hume pipe and excavation at the site.

Chhoekhor Gup Pema Dungyel said that the road would be maintained by installing the hume pipe soling and handed over to the community this year.

Edited by Jigme Wangchuk