The Zhemgang dzongkhag tshogdu’s (DT) request for a college will be discussed in the upcoming National Assembly (NA) session.

The request was included in the Parliament session’s agenda during the preliminary NA session meeting on April 21.

Local leaders from Zhemgang, after discussing the need for a college in the region in February 2016, submitted the proposal to the government.

It was learnt that the proposal could not make it to the NA’s discussion on issues from the Local Government during the eighth NA session last year.

Panbang’s member of parliament (MP), Dorji Wangdi, said the proposal was discussed during last year’s plenary meeting but was dropped.

He said that during the plenary meeting last year, it was decided that the NA will first refer the request to the education ministry, which would be asked the latter to submit its findings during the preliminary agenda setting meeting for the ninth’s session.

“But the education ministry did not submit anything,” he said.

He also said that with the government pledging to open three new colleges in six eastern dzongkhags, the four central dzongkhags should also have one college.

“Since Zhemgang is backward, upgrading the school to a college will help the dzongkhag develop,” he said.

Zhemang CS has an area of about 50 acres.

Education minister Norbu Wangchuk said they need to study the request closely because they are getting requests from several dzongkhags to set up colleges.

“While we have a written tertiary education policy, we need to see how many, where and what kind of colleges are required,” the minister said.

Lyonpo Norbu Wangchuk said the education ministry would have to study the requirement of the colleges holistically. “We will definitely consider Zhemgang’s proposal and we need to consider the dzongkhag’s case in light of the whole country’s tertiary education needs.”

Tashi Dema