The disciplinary committee members of Dagana dzongkhag tshogdu (DT) will leave to Karmaling gewog in Lhamoizingkha today to investigate an alleged misuse of the gewog Bolero and drinking water pipes by the gup.

DT chairperson, Kana gup Lhawang Dorji, called the committee members consisting of four gups and a mangmi on August 3 to discuss the matter and then directed them to go to Karmaling to investigate the issue.

The office order issued by the DT chairperson stated that the farmers of Karmaling gewog complained against the gup on three different issues and the dzongdag directed the officials of Lhamoizingkha drungkhag to investigate the allegations.

“Although the drungkhag officials submitted their investigation report to the dzongdag, the disciplinary committee also have to conduct a thorough investigation since the Local Government Act 2009 mandates the committee to decide on the matter,” it stated.

Kana gup Lhawang Dorji, however, said nothing has been decided about the issue, as the dzongdag is on tour and they will have to discuss the matter with the dzongdag.

Karmaling gup Gyan Bahadur Subba said the drungkhag officials already investigated the matter and he doesn’t want to talk, as he doesn’t know how the drungpa reported.

While sources in Dagana alleged that the drungkhag officials found that most of the allegations were true, Lhamoizingkha drungpa Tashi Gyeltshen said he cannot comment, as it was administrative issues and not serious.

He told Kuensel not to report on the issue.

A Karmaling resident said eight people from the locality lodged the complaint to the dzongkhag after the gup gave drinking water pipes to only two households each from Kareni and Baseyni villages although there were about 17 households affected by severe water shortage.

The gup was alleged of distributing the pipes to people from other villages instead.

“After lodging the complaint, the drungpa called us to the drungkhag office and beat me because I was the main complainant. He slapped me and boxed me twice,” the villager alleged. “I have not done anything wrong. I only questioned why we were not given drinking water pipes.”

He said that the drungpa later apologised, saying it happened in the heat of the moment and that he would address the issue. “But we have not heard from the drungkhag.”

The other two complaints were misusing gewog Bolero for personal use and giving community contract works worth less than Nu 1.5M to people the gup preferred.

The resident said they are poor people living in far-flung villages and their voice will never get heard.

The drungpa refused to comment.

Staff reporter