A fallout of uncertain status

Election promise goes unfulfilled as the place seems to be neither here (township) nor there (gewog)

Conference Hall: The people of Rangjung, which today is unsure of its status as a satellite town, have not forgotten election promises made by leaders elected to Parliament. 

A few days back, Rangjung business community wrote to their MP, finance minister Wangdi Norbu, reminding him of his campaign promise to build a meeting hall in Rangjung. 

Residents said construction of a meeting hall has not yet started, even though his term is nearing its end. 

“We’re confused whether it’s the gewog and dzongkhag, who are shunning their duty, or lyonpo himself has failed to deliver what he promised,” Chimi Dorji, a resident, said. 

Another resident from Rangjung, Phuntsho Dorji, said lyonpo has told residents of Rangjung in both his constituency visits that the meeting hall will be constructed. 

“But it seems like gewog and dzongkhag aren’t following it up, though lyonpo also told us that budget has been allocated,” he said.

The residents, in their letter said without a proper meeting hall, it has been quite inconvenient to conduct public meetings.

“Without a proper meeting hall in town, attending meetings in rain and sun by Rangjung vegetable market shed isn’t very comfortable for us,” Chimi Dorji said. 

Earlier, Rangjung higher secondary school used to spare us their multi-purpose hall sometimes, but stopped because of disturbances caused to students. 

Kinzang Wangdi, the gup of Shongphu, under which Rangjung falls, said the lapse is neither with the local government nor the minister. “It’s rather their (business community) own lack of initiatives that have muffed chances of getting a meeting hall,” Kinzang Wangdi said.

He said they should have proposed to the gewog office to include it into the development plans. 

“But that never happened, because people of Rangjung think they’re still outside the jurisdiction of Shongphu gewog,” he said. “Without a proposal from people, it’s impossible for the minister or local government to construct a hall,” Kinzang Wangdi said. 

Trashigang dzongkhag officials said that Nu 1M has been allocated for drawing and designing a meeting hall in Rangjung.  Since, the work would not be completed by December 2012, only groundwork, like design, is to be done this year.

All 10th Five-Year Plan activities are supposed to be completed by December 2012. 

Therefore, the construction of the hall will happen only in the 11th plan, which starts from July 2013, a dzongkhag official said. 

By Tempa Wangdi, Trashigang