The top priority: A proper town
With two roads and a hydroproject in the offing, it can stake its claim to an upgrade
16 January, 2011 - With its typical two-storey houses amidst areca nut trees and paddy fields, Lhamoyzingkha town on the southern foothills transports visitors to an earlier era.
Most of the 32 small retail businesses operate from houses with concrete floors and painted wooden plank walls. The children play in the open spaces between shops, while housewives wash and ferry water from the five surrounding water taps. There is no drainage system in the area, which residents say allows mosquitoes to breed. By 6 pm, its dark and residents either retire to their homes or warm themselves by the small fires in front of their houses. Weve been living like this for years, the town secretary, Medhan Prasad Gurung, said. The residents live on government allotted plots, but the area is yet to be declared a town. Residents claim that they have been living like this for almost several decades, and now they wish to become a proper township. Dilip Kumar Mukhia, 43, who runs a shop at the main entrance to the town, said he grew up seeing Lhamoizingkha in this condition, and fears he might have to grow old without seeing much changes. Its high time the government recognises the towns potential and allow people to construct houses, he said.The father of four said t Lhamoizingkha has potential to become a centre for economic growth, because of the upcoming Sunkosh project, which is supposed to begin in 2011. We dont want to be another Gedu town, where people constructed houses after the project was completed, Dilip Kumar Mukhia said.Another town resident, Krishna Bahadur Chetri, 65, who owns the only restaurant in town with lodge facilities, said people are interested to construct buildings. It wouldnt only benefit us, but also t! he peopl e of the three gewogs, the town secretary said, adding that people from Lhamoizingkha, Nichula and Deorali gewogs will not have to travel to India to buy essential commodities. We cant store goods in small houses like this.Dilip Kumar Mukhia said that the opening of Geserling-Lhamoizingkha road and Raidak-Lhamoizingkha road would increase business prospects, as people from Wangduephodrang, Tsirang and Dagana might halt in Lhamoizingkha. Another resident said that the works and human settlement minister, Lyonpo Yeshey Zimba, told them that there is great potential of developing Lhamoizingkha into a beautiful town, with facilities like childrens park and regional sports centre during his last visit. This is a green signal, but I dont understand why the implementing officials here arent doing anything, the 49-year old man said.Town secretary Medhan Prasad also said, while the town is under the gewog, itsresidents stil pay Nu 1,000 as tax per plot. So declaring it as a town is important as it confuses people, he said.Lhamoizingkha dungpa Tshewang Tobgyel said that there is a committee formed to decide whether the town would be in the municipal area. The committee, chaired by the gup met in June last year and we have forwarded their proposals to the dzongkhag, he said. The dzongkhag had forwarded it to DUDES.The dungpa also said that while the dungkhag is waiting for directives from DUDES, they had measured the area between the police camp to the hospital as a new town site. As dusk envelopes the place, residents sitting by the fire in front of the houses say the place could be brighter if there were street lights. I want water supply in my house, so that I can take a bath in my house only, a 15-year old girl said.By Tashi Dema
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