Barshong Gewog at glance, Tsirang. - Dupten Tshering

Gewog at a Glance

Barshong Gewog is located in the western part of Tsirang Dzongkhag and has an area of 21.2 sq km. The altitude ranges from 700 to 1500 meters above the sea level. Approximately 52.83% of the land area is under forest cover comprising mainly broad-leaf.  The gewog has a total of 249.41 acres of dry land and 112.37 acres of wet land.

The most commonly used local dialects are Lhotshamkha, Tamang, Mongar and Subba. The gewog is administratively divided into 5 chewogs namely Barshong Toed, Barshong Maed, Gangtokha, Chunnykhang and Toisang with administration center and RNR center at Barshong Toed. Out of five chewogs, two Chewogs (Toisang and Chunnykhang) are not connected with road.The gewog has 249 households with a total population of 2187 (M-1151& F-1036) living in widely scattered 9 villages in the gewog. The gewog center is located about 32 kms away from the Dzongkhag administration, Tsirang. The favorable diverse agro-ecological features provide the gewog with a high potential for the cultivation of many different types of cereal grains as well as horticulture crops.  Paddy, maize, oilseed, wheat are the major cereal crops grown while orange and dominates other cash crops as the main source of cash income for the farmers. Livestock rearing is also an important activity contributing to required food nutrition as well as cash income from the sale of surplus dairy products.

For those households with wetland, rice is reported as the most important source of household income whilst for those without wet land, orange orchards, sale of livestock products, vegetable and other forms of off-farm works such as carpentry and timber sawing contribute to household cash income.

Agriculture and livestock extension services are provided by a RNR Extension center while health services and facilities are also presently availed from BHU located at Gangtokha. Barshong Community Primary School, Toisang ECR and two NFE centers are the only source that provides adequate education services in the gewog with 84% literacy rate. There are 19 civil servants working in the gewog. The gewog is connected with 10 kms of GC road from Mendrelgang to Barshong Gewog center and 6 kms of farm roads – 2 kms Sallarey FR, 2 kms Lungkhorma FR and 2 kms Barshong Toed – Barshong Maed FR). There are 32 irrigation schemes (24.55 kms). 98.39 % of the households living in the gewog are connected with electricity. The establishment of Community Centers has immeasurably benefited the people from all walks of life to access the ICT facilities.

A total budget of Nu 10.039 million has been kept for the 11^th Five Year Plan.