Motion for the Department of Roads to manage the Gewog Center Roads
The member of Kengkhar-Weringla, Hon’ble Rinzin Jamtsho moved the motion to hand over the management of the Gewog Center (GC) roads to the Department of Roads (DoR) or to provide the Local Governments with an adequate budget. He submitted that the motion was submitted with the objective to minimize and avoid waste of government resources, to be able adhere with the current framework, to maintain the quality and standard, avoid any inconveniences to the people and for future sustainability. The Member from Dewathang-Gomdar supported the motion.
The Member informed that motorable roads are crucial for economic development, trade, transportation and to improve the livelihood of the people. He also reported that 196 Gewog Center (GC) roads are completed while blacktopping of the remaining 28 are being carried out by the present Government. He submitted that the present Government had handed over the management of GC roads to Dzongkhag and the Gewog Centers from the DoR which has the following issues :
- The inability of the Dzongkhag to provide services to all the Dzongkhag and lack of capability/capacity in the Gewogs
- The withdrawal of national wage workers added to the lack of manpower.
- Inability or lack of maintenance of roads that were blacktopped 7 to 8 years ago.
- Only a minimum budget of Nu. 30,000 per kilometer has been allocated to Gewogs towards the maintenance of the GC roads.
The House deliberated in detail for and against the motion submitted. However, the House did not support the motion to hand over the management of the Gewog Center (GC) roads to the Department of Roads (DoR). Instead the House supported the motion to provide an adequate budget instead with 21 Yes, 18 No and 3 Abstain out of 42 Members present and voting.
