The Bhutanese Leading the way.
Member of Parliament (MP) from Thrimshing constituency, Trashigang, Damchoe Tenzin, raised concerns in the National Assembly on 5th June 2026 over vacant Drungpa positions in some drungkhags, questioning the impact on local administration and service delivery.
The MP noted that while Bhutan currently has 14 drungkhags following the upgrading of Umling Drungkhag, some drungkhags, including Songbeykha and Thrimshing, continue to operate without appointed Drungpas.
In such cases, neighboring drungkhags are administered under a single Drungpa, raising concerns among the public regarding administrative effectiveness and accessibility of services.
He asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to clarify the administrative and policy factors affecting the appointment of Drungpas, and the measures being taken to ensure that all drungkhags are adequately staffed.
Responding to the question, Home Minister Lyonpo Tshering said there are no special administrative or policy restrictions preventing the appointment of Drungpas.
He explained that like other civil service positions, Drungpa vacancies are advertised publicly and filled through competitive examinations and interviews.
In a written response, the Home Minister said the ministry has been facing increasing recruitment challenges due to a significant decline in the number of applicants seeking Drungpa positions.
According to the Home Minister, vacancies often need to be advertised multiple times before a suitable candidate can be found, resulting in delays and additional administrative costs.
“The number of applicants applying for these positions has dropped significantly,” the Lyonpo Tshering said, adding that the recruitment gap has become a persistent challenge in deploying adequate staff and Drungpas to drungkhags.
To address the issue, the Ministry of Home Affairs is engaged in discussions with the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) on measures to strengthen recruitment and staffing for local governance positions.
The minister said several interventions are already being implemented in consultation with the RCSC.
One of the key measures is the waiver of Major Occupational Group (MOG) requirements for Dzongkhag Tshogdu secretaries, cultural officers and language development officers, allowing them to compete for Drungpa positions through open competition.
The ministry said the measure is intended to widen the pool of eligible candidates by recognizing the relevance of their professional backgrounds and experience in local governance.
According to the Minister, the approach has already yielded results, with two cultural officers and one Dzongkhag Tshogdu Secretary appointed to senior local governance positions through open competition.
The ministry is systematically addressing staffing shortages and remains committed to resolving human resource challenges affecting drungkhags.
