Thursday 30 January 2014

A Quick Service Delivery



The meeting was held on 24th January at Gewog Office, (Gup’s Chamber) with the Gewog staffs and normally in a week every Friday used to be a weekly meeting with the GT (Gewog Tshogdu) members. And on this day the Gewog Staffs (employees and the elected officials including Gup, Mangmi and the Tshogpas were briefed of their TORs (Term of Reference) as stated in the LG Rules & Regulations of 2012. The Civil servants and also the elected officials were also once again reminded for their need to inform the Gewog while availing short leave and in writing to the Gewog if it’s for long period of leave. The need to attend the office regularly was also reminded by the Gewog Administrative officer and the Gup. The NFE instructors were also informed of their need to submit their monthly progress report and also while availing leave or going out of station. It was after the Dzongkhag Administration officially handed over the Civil servants under its jurisdiction or to be in line with the LG Act and LG Rules & Regulation-2012 including the NFE instructors last year. The need to provide the quick services as always by the Gewog Administration was also reminded by the Gewog Administrative Officer.

It was also as a follow up from the Gewog Administration in line to the Letter No.DLG-01/2013/6327 of dated 5th November,2013 from the Secretary, MOHCA, Thimphu to implement the LG Act and LG Rules & Regulations,2009.


 By Lobzang Choda
Rangthangling Gewog, Tsirang

Friday 24 January 2014

Dreams of destitute



A 44-year old Choten Namgyal from Laishingri is a physically challenged individual with crippled left leg since he was seven years old.  He's married to Yeshi Zangmo from kheng Bagla, Gongdue Gewog under Mongar Dzongkhag. Together they had four children, three sons and a daughter. In 2008 his wife went to her village to meet her parents but she never returned and later knew that she got married to another man. Now he is facing a lot of problem to look  after his four children owing to his disability. 

His sons couldn't continue their education because of expenses so instead he enrolled them as monks at Decheling Gomdey. He owns 5.37 acres of dry land but due to his disability he has given his part of land for share cropping and rest remain as a fallow. Without steady source of income, sometimes his neighbour takes care of his daily meal too. He lives in a dilapidated bamboo shack constructed by the community.

Another story would be of Mr. Ugyen Tenzin, 10 year old studying in class V in Nagor Lower Secondary School under Mongar Dzongkhag. He was a recipient of His Majesty's Tozay allowance of nu. 800 in 2010 but after moving to Decheling lower secondary school, he stopped receiving the allowance even though his kidu profile was transferred along with him. His family sometimes depended on his allowance only if Ugyen managed to save half of his kidu money. 

Pema Lhamo 5years old is with his younger sister at Gedu, Chukha Dzongkhag.










Views on LG Act

After the amendment of Local Governance Act in 2012, the power shift from the central government to the local government seemed intriguing and balancing for decision making and decentralizing procession.

In order to exercise the Local Governance Act the Gewog Administration feels that the concerned agencies such as Dzongkhag Administration and financial institutions should be sensitized and facilitated with regard to the acts passed in order to prevent upheavals and misunderstanding between the two.

The local governance acts should be promulgated among all the intertwined parties.The local governance act is another major milestone to achieve active citizen participation in decision making with the help of local government.

The passing of the LG Act and its amendment is a sheer shift of responsibility and one of major decentralization process that the government has initiated which is welcomed by many local leaders and this act also help in advocating their responsibility without hindrance.   

Group Members:
Sonam Wangda
Sherab Zangpo
Phub Gyeltshen
Nawang Palden
Dawa Tshering

Service Rendered by Community Centre

Community Center at Gasetshowogm, under Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag.







Community Center (also known as CC) as a whole is to render online and offline services to the public to their door step but as of now, Gasetshowogm CC is rendering only the offline services like:

1/ Photocopy
2/ lamination and binding services
3/ Printings  forms and  applications.
4/ Passport size photo printing
5/ legal/Revenue stamp distribution.
6/ Basic computer course (for students on vacation) 
  
We are hoping for an internet connection in  all the community center very soon. so that it will be fully equipped to render online services at prompt.

Community Center, Gasetshowogm.
2/Established - 2013.
3/Incharge name: Sonam Tshomo


Published By;
1. GAO of Gasetsho-wogm, Wangdue.
2. GAO of Sephoog,Wangdue.
3. GAO of Kazhi, WAngdue.

Annual Puran at Tsangkha gewog

Annual Puran at Tsangkha gewog

Seven day Puran (Hindu Puja) which was started on 12th December, 2013 ended with a religious songs sung by the members of Hindu Samachar Tshogpa in praise of loard Krishna  and the offering of long life blessing from the great Pandit of Hindu Samachar Tshogpa of Dagana Dzongkhag. The Puja was organised by the Gewog Administation along with the members of the Hindu Samachar Tshogpa of the Tsangkha gewog. The Puran was held at Hindu Temple which was constructed through the Constitutional Development Grant with the budget of Nu.0.3 m.

The temple was consecrated on 14th December, 2013 in presence of lyonpo Sangay Nima Chempo, Minister of labour and human resources which was completed last December. On the final day, the Dasho Dzongda and other sector heads were invited to attend the ceremony. 

Sonam Rabten
GAO, Tsangkha (Dagana dzongkhag)

Hidden talent of village women



                       Hidden talent of village women

My house owner  Mrs. Jit Bdr of Zamlingzor village under Tsirang Dzongkhag is making a  plate out of local materials  for her Niece's wedding celebration, during her leisure time, Which is Eco-friendly and economical. She went to collect all the local materials by her self and  was fully involved. She was really excited to attend the wedding party which is going take place very soon, She was fully involved  for the celebration preparation.

I saw her busy involved in making plates and cups out of green leaves , i was really impressed to see her talent. So, i spend around 1 hour witnessing her talent and chatting to her. She said she was involved in all this work since from her childhood days. She even helped her neighbors and youth in sharing her own talent. So, the practice of making the leaf plates will flourish from generation to Generations.

After spending time with her and seeing her talent i told her why don't you all form a women association group and transform your talent into business. Which will enhance the livelihood of the people and at the same time empower the women's group. 

so, i am thinking of forming the women's group in the village with their consensus and if possible i want to help them to do  their business. Published by GAO Damcho(kilkhorthang Gewog, Tsirang)Tshering GAO (Geling,chukha) sonam Rinchen, GAO(punakha)and group.

Media Sensitization Workshop for GAOs

Department of Local Governance in collaboration with Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy conducted three day workshop on Media Sensitization for the last batch of GAOs from 22/1/2014 to 24/1/2014 at the WWF conference in Kawajangsa, Thimphu.

The main objective for conducting the workshop was to:

  • To enhance the capacity of GAOs to become more effective in sharing public information for democratic good governance, thus strengthening transparency at gewog level.
  •  Learn the basis of how to handle the press, writing news releases, identifying stories and how to update the gewog webpage.
  • Understand how to judge the reliability of sources and spot bias and self interest stories.  


The workshop was graced by Dasho Neten Zangmo, Chair Person of the ACC. Dasho highlighted the importance of social accountability and the need of sharing information. Mr. Kinzang from DLG also highlighted the plans for transparency in LG and the role of GAOs as a focal person and role in dealing with media and sharing information.

In the three day workshop the GAOs were briefed on importance of social media and its pros and cons with regard to sharing information, openness and transparency, fairness and bias while sharing the news. The participants were also engaged in group activities in identifying the challenges and solutions for disseminating information to society. The participants were also introduced to the Draft Right to Information Bill and some of the code of ethics of Journalist. The participants were also taught how to write press releases and letter to the editors.

From the three day workshop, the participants learned:

  • the benefits of an open society and the GOAs role in strengthening transparency in the Gewogs.
  • How to improve information sharing at Gewog Level for Good Governance
  • The fundamentals of writing news releases and basic principles to keep in mind while writing story and reporting on any issues
  • The role of media in promoting the transparency and accountability
  • Understand how to judge the credibility of information.



Drakteng Gewog, Trongsa

Drakteng Gewog, Trongsa
Drakteng Gewog under Trongsa district is located towards the south covering an area of about 84.8Km² and is the smallest Gewog iin trongsa dzongkhag. It has 445 numbers of household and 5 chiwogs. According to the PHCB-2012, the Gewog have a population of 3817. The Gewog shares boundary with Nubi Gewog to the north, Tangsibji to the west, partially with Bumthang Dzongkhag to the East and Langthil and Korphu towards the south and southeast. This Gewog enjoys a warm climate with sandy loam soil type, with an altitude ranging from about 1100 meters to 2000 meters above sea level.
The gewog has 1 Gewog Administration Office, 3 pry schools, 1 middle secondary school, and 1 higher secondary school. The Institute of Language and Cultural Studies (ILCS) is also  located under this gewog at Taktse. The gewog also has a grade 1 BHU, 3 ORCs, CIC and RNR centre.   
Drakteng Gewog is of historical importance particularly in the early part of the 20th century when Kuengarabten Dzong was the winter Royal Palace of His Majesty the Second King of Bhutan. The Dzong is currently used as a monastic school by Trongsa Rabdey. 
The Trongsa-Gelephu highway passes through the Gewog, which serves as a main economic artery. The Gewog has five farm roads and two approach roads, which are connected from the highway to the villages playing a vital role in marketing the surplus farm products. Mangdechhu Hydro-power Project Authority (MHPA) is also piloted under the gewog which is the source of employment for the youth and villagers of the gewog.  
The villagers of this Gewog have a long tradition of sharecropping the wetland which is mostly owned by people outside the Gewog. Paddy, maize, mustard, rice and wheat are some of the major crops grown in the Gewog. Almost all type of vegetables are grown and villagers from this Gewog are mostly found in Trongsa Sunday market selling their surplus vegetables since they are near and are connected by Trongsa-Gelephu highway.
 Kuenzang Rigzeen
GAO, Drakten;Trongsa

Wednesday 22 January 2014

ECCD, molding future citizens of Tashithang Chiwog

What develops a community solely lies in the hand of people of that particular community. A TINY proposal from the public with the little help from the gewog administration for the establishment of Early Childhood Care and Development Centre (ECCD) was proposed to the Dzongkhag education Sector. Right away it was approved and the establishment of the ECCD is on the full swing. 

ECCD, the title itself depicts the care and development of the future citizens and people of Tashithang chiwog (a place where it is being established) is fully supporting the establishment of such programme as they believe the importance of the education. 

Moreover they are happy because they don’t have to babysit their child at home. They feel that it’s going to give more time to work in the field for them. 

The Dzongkhag Education Sector has provided budget for the procurement of materials such as CGI sheet, wiring materials and other important things required for the smooth run of the centre. All the labor works are done by the public of that chiwog for free.


figure showing the ECCD under progress

The work is still are under progress and the people of  Tashithang chiwog are eagerly waiting to enroll their children in the centre

Tashi Dema
GAO
Sergithang, Tsirang

Tuesday 21 January 2014