The Bhutanese Leading the way.
However 3 new Dzongdas to be appointed to fill up vacant posts and some transfers to happen
The issue first came up officially in the monthly meet the press on 9th January, when a journalist asked the Prime Minister if the Mongar Dzongda had been ‘surrendered’ to the Royal Civil Service Commission.
The Prime Minister, in a short answer, officially denied any such move from the government’s side.
However, prior to that and after that the rumor mills have been going on an overdrive on the ‘surrender’ of the Mongar Dzongda. Coming close on the heels of the ‘surrender’ of three secretaries this rumor has created some major buzz even with the civil service.
The Home Ministry which looks after the Dzongdas denied any such moves to surrender the Dzongda.
The Home Minister Lyonpo Damcho Dorji said that there was no plan to surrender the Mongar Dzongda to the RCSC. He said that the government functioned as per the RCSC Act and it would not arbitrarily carry out any such step.
The RCSC also clarified that it was not in knowledge of any such moves and put it down to mere speculation.
The final confirmation came from the Mongar Dzongda Sherab Tenzin himself, who said it was not true.
He said that instead, he was awaiting a transfer by RCSC from his current post as it was his sixth year running as Mongar Dzongda.
He said, “I became Mongar Dzongda in May 2009, and this is my sixth year running after completing five years in the Dzongkhag.”
The norm and system in the RCSC is usually to transfer any senior official after five years of service in a particular office. It is not considered in good practice to let senior officials occupy one post in one agency for too long especially in the case of sensitive postings like Dzongdas.
The Dzongda said that he was in fact hoping for a transfer to some ministry in Thimphu where there are vacant posts.
The Prime Minister Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay who is in Mongar said, “I am here in the East reviewing the Performance Management System (PMS) of the six dzongkhags including the Mongar Dzongda and so any such rumors are not true. In fact the Mongar Dzongda is working with me in terms of the PMS targets.”
Meanwhile, according to reliable sources the RCSC will be sending a list of potential Dzongdas to the PM to fill up the vacant Dzongda posts of Thimphu Dzongkhag, Wangdi Phodrang Dzongkhag and Bumthang Dzongkhag.
The Prime Minister will shortlist the names and then submit the final list to His Majesty the King who will officially appoint the respective Dzongdas.
This is as per section 48 subsection C of the Royal Civil Service Act 2010.
Sources also say that with many Dzongdas exceeding or on the verge of exceeding their terms there would also be a transfer of Dzongdas after the appointment of new Dzongdas.
According to section 71 of the RCSC Act the cabinet can determine and approve the inter-ministerial and inter-Dzongkhag transfer of secretaries and Dzongkhags in the same positions in consultation with the Commission.
Dzongdas effectively function as the CEOs of the Dzongkhags having a strong impact on a Dzongkhags development and progress.
