Bardo still in Bardo

One of Bhutan’s most remote and backward gewog, Bardo is still the poetic imagery of its namesake which translates to ‘the intermediate state between life and rebirth’.

The gewog even now doesn’t have road connectivity or electricity.

Nevertheless, 9 schemes of Rural Water Supply Scheme (RWSS) have been completed while two new Lhakhangs are under construction for which the cost estimate is more than Nu 5.5mn.

The budget for the Lhakhang construction was used from the government’s fund, since the existing fund was not sufficient to complete it. About 30% of budget was allocated for this at the same time individual donations also added to the fund.

Although it a farm road was promised before the current government’s term ends, the gewog people are not sure that this target will be achieved.

Nonetheless, electric poles have been fixed in the gewog as of now to light up the far flung gewog.

(Tashi Deki)

 

Gups to appeal relocate Dzongkhag court

The government plans to build a new structure for the Paro dzongkhag court on a new area identified just above the National Museum.

Currently the dzongkhag court operates from the Paro Rinpung dzong. The new location will be around 6kms from the Paro main town. However the Gups of around eight gewogs coordinated by the Lango gup Phub Tshering plans to appeal to the government to relocate the court to the old Teacher Training Center (TTC) which remains barren just below the Paro dzong.

According to the Lango gup, if the court is located above the National Museum then the people will face difficulty in travelling since they have to bear extra charges for transportation which is very difficult for the farmers and the poorer section of the community.

(Yeshey Tshewang)

 

EUnusually long duration to construct a normal bridge 

A bridge approximately 10 m in length to connect Nahi stream above Hesithangkha power house on the way to Wangdi-Tsirang highway is in its fifth year of construction. And it doesn’t seem to show any signs of completion.

“Almost all the people in Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag have complained about the bridge because it is taking an unusually long duration to complete,” said one of the Gups in Wangdue gewog. He said maybe it has to do with ‘big-shots’ involved in it or there is some handing-taking procedure between the government and the contractor.

According to an elder man in Athang Gewog, people wanted to file a complaint on this issue but since there is no proper forum to voice out their opinion, they are left with no choice.  Some have even put the blame on the Bhutanese contractor for lack of proper engineering.

Due to delay in the constructions, travelers passing by the road increasingly face problems due to muddy roads during monsoon season and the place which became prone to landslide.

(Dawa Zangmo)