END OF ISOLATION The NA Speaker at the groundbreaking ceremony

7 January, 2008 - Not many Brokpas of Merak imagined that their gewog would be connected with road, but Merak, one of the remotest gewogs in the country, will be connected with a farm road by 2011.

A 28 km farm road will connect Merak to Radhi, the nearest semi-urban centre to the gewog. On January 5, a simple groundbreaking ceremony of the farm road was conducted, which was attended by villagers of Khardung, Tokshingmang and Merak. The road will begin in Khardung, pass through Tokshingmang and end in Merak.

The speaker of the National Assembly, Jigme Tshultim, who is also the MP from Radhi-Sakteng constituency, attended the ceremony. The speaker told Kuensel that the road will end in Damangchu in Merak and be completed within a year. The farm road would benefit more than 450 households - 150 households in Tokshingmang, more than 300 households in Merak.

“Merak is one place with potential for tourism and, with access to road, tourism can be promoted,” said the speaker. He also said the farm road will open economic opportunities for the Merak farmers. “When tourists visit Merak and Sakteng, the farmers of these two remote villages can provide transportation (mule service) from Damangchu,” he said. Merak is just one and half hours walking distance from Damangchu.

Meanwhile, the yak herders of Merak and Sakteng are upbeat about the recent development happening in their gewog. “I’m happy that our gewog, isolated for centuries, is finally being opened to the world,” said Rinchen, 35, a yak herder, who came to attend the groundbreaking ceremony.

The groundbreaking ceremony ended with a lunch and mask dances by the villagers of Tokshingmang.