Dophuchen dungkhag in Samtse is in need of a fuel station. With the increasing number of vehicles, drivers are facing a hard time fuelling their vehicles.

Dophuchen serves as the centre connecting two other gewogs of Dumtey and Denchukha. There are more than 70 private Boleros in Dophuchen. Denchukha has about 40 and Dumtey about 22. There are also smaller vehicles.

A Dophuchen resident, Buddha Lepcha, said that it has become important to have a fuel station in the duungkhag.

He said that at present, people buy fuel from a shop at inflated prices. Dophuchen is about 60km from Samtse.

Filling Liquid Petroleum Gas  (LPG) cyclinders is another problem. With the recent scheme of distributing LPG in rural places, the requirement for a fuel station has become even more important.

Dumtey Gup Damber Singh Rai said that there is need for a station that can provide both fuel for vehicles and LPG. “It would be even better if we can have services in each gewog.”

Damber Singh Rai said that the gewog administration has recently distributed 300 LPG cylinders. The gewog has a requirement of 380 LPG. The remaining 80 will be distributed later, he added.

“People will have to travel all the way to Samtse,” Damber Singh Rai said.

Dumtey is about 30km from Dorokha.

Denchukha Gup Chandraman Bhandari, meanwhile, said that a fuel station must be provided soon. “I have pointed this out during a gewog tshogde.”

He added that the place where a bridge collapsed over the Amochhu is the best place. A fuel station there would serve the three gewogs and vehicles from Haa.

Denchukha today has a requirement of 150 LPG cylinders. More than 70 have been distributed recently.

Dophuchen Gup Padam Bdr Rai said that trade officials recently spoke with him. “They have taken details of the Boleros.”

A shop in Dophuchen sells vehicle fuel and LPG today. Although people say the price is reasonable, the shop does not have fuel most of the time. An LPG cylinder is sold for Nu 800.

A Bolero charges from Nu 300 to Nu 500 to carry an LPG cylinder to Samtse depending on which gewog it is being taken from. The rate is same for bringing back a cylinder. It would cost anywhere between Nu 1,000 and Nu 1,500 to purchase a refilled LPG cylinder in Dophuchen.

Rajesh Rai | Dophuchen