…and Chapcha gewog’s yearlong wait for an approval came through yesterday 

Visit: For the past one year, Chapcha gup Dorji Penjore has been running from one agency to another in the capital seeking approval to relocate the gewog centre.

The decision finally came in their favour when Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay approved it on the spot during his visit to the gewog yesterday evening.

“If people have given the clearance and the budget is allotted, the government doesn’t have an issue,” lyonchoen said.

The home ministry will issue its approval within this month, he told the gathering in presence of Home Minister Dawa Gyaltshen.

Gup Dorji Penjore said the Gross National Happiness Commission has approved the budget to relocate the office, but the home ministry did not issue the approval for the relocation.

“Just last week I approached the local government department director general to check on the approval and it was still pending,” the gup said.

The concern was that the budget, Nu 3 million (M), would go back if the gewog administration was unable to obtain the approval before the end of the fiscal year.

“We’re so relieved now,” gup Dorji Penjore said.

One of the tshogpas, Tobgay said there were difficulties for people to come to the centre without a road.

The existing gewog office at Gumti, 700 metres from Tanalung checkpost towards Thimphu over a three-acre land is on a steep slope and unsuitable for expansion to accommodate RNR offices and the community centre, which would cater government to citizen services.

The office would be relocated to Zimilaga, at the junction to Chapcha School and the town.

“Being close to Thimphu-Phuentsholing highway, it saves the government expenses on blacktopping the gewog road,” a gewog official said.

The gewog intends to use the old one as a guesthouse for civil servants visiting the gewog.

More than 100 people attended the meeting with the prime minister in Bjabcho gewog yesterday morning.

Lyonchoen commended the villagers for availing Business Opportunity Information Centre’s loans for various businesses.

Of the 220 projects the dzongkhag proposed to the centre, 58, worth Nu 17.958M were approved. More than half of the approved projects, 37 worth Nu 6.89M, are from Bjabcho gewog.

“While people might say anything about the centre, its establishment was legal and now we’re going to make it a state-owned enterprise. I urge you to propose more projects to take advantage of the opportunity,” lyonchoen said.

There are 1,506 projects across the nation worth Nu 366.617M.

A total of 16 projects have started work, most of them in agriculture and growing vegetables.

The biggest project is a cattle farm worth Nu 2.6M in Wangkha. The other projects are in agriculture sector.

“For those of you who have not applied need not worry as there is plenty of fund available,” the Prime Minister said.

Lyonchoen Tshering Tobgay informed the people on the annual dzongkhag and gewog performance agreements and the annual budget for the respective gewogs.

Villagers also raised farm road maintenance issues, and compensation for land damaged during Damchu-Chukha highway, among others.

There are 230 households in Bjabcho gewog and 464 in Chapcha gewog.

Lyonchoen will visit Bongo gewog, Chukha today.

Tshering Palden, Chukha