Thursday 25 September 2014

Guidelines Vs Guidelines

                          
The people of Rangthangling prefers to use the amount of two million (20 lakhs) for the Zulphaygaon Farm Road which has an approximate of 4 kms and the Sunkosh farm road of an approximate 5.6 kms based from the first round of ocular survey or the preliminary survey. Yet it remained as the prioritize activities for the usage from the two million (20 lakhs) grant (GDG) for the fiscal year 2014-2015. It was also after the consultative meeting held on 29th August with the public of Rangthangling Gewog or the residents of five Chewogs. The Gewog Development Grant (GDG)’s Guidelines, 2014 in one of the criteria under 3.) Amount, scope & Criteria for the Grant States that ii.) ‘The grant must be distributed to all the chewogs equally irrespective of number of households, populations and chewog size.  The chewog would have the authority to use the share of grant allocated to them for basic development activities within the chewog. However if two or more chewogs agree to combine the resources for a common project that would benefit two or more chewogs or all chewogs agree to use the grant for a bigger common project that would benefit all chewogs it might be allowed upon the consensus of public of the respective chewogs’’. On the contrary the “Guidelines for Farm Road development revision 2013” states that proposed farm road must serve at least 20 households for one km of farm road which is one of the main screening criteria.
With the budget from GDG if to proceed with the farm roads then the amount of only 20 lakhs for the two farm roads is very much insufficient and is likely to cause the landslides and erosions in summer seasons with difficulty to ply for the vehicles having only the first cutting and it is to result with more bane than boon.
On the other hand it seemed also for the farmers in a dire need with the cash crops and vegetables they grow and the farm roads are the only prioritize in the wish list than any other activities.
So at the time of the Hon’ble MP Dasho Yogesh Tamang’s, Kilkhorthang-Mendrelgang Demkhong visit to Gewog on 17th September and after having shared these issue, Dasho on his part asked the Gewog to apprise the Honorable Minister Agriculture during his visit to Tsirang for further clarification. Until such time the utilization of GDG fund is to be kept in abeyance.

By Lobzang Choda
R/ling GAO




3 comments:

  1. Great...Our Bhutanese are the worst social beings..just wanted to finish up at once...thanks

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  2. The policy makers while legislating have never considered such controversial then to enact what it comes on their table. Bla bla black sheep is not indeed serving the very purpose of having policies and guidelines in place. I remembered and submitted to do away with the provision of 20 household for every one kilometer while consulting on farm road guideline in Samtse and raised the same issue to NC and Minister during their visit here in Lhuentse. But nothing has been done and no another issue will be GDG guideline. If things are to confuse and complicate, why revision and oversight. Oversight or revisions are done principally to address those complicates and confusion but seems is another round.

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  3. Very True Mr. Tshering Phuntsho and that's how we are facing in dilemma at Grassroots and yes mr. Sancha ria people seemed so desperate for need of farm roads..

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