SARBHANG

Though the issues were discussed, as they are the most pressing demands of the business community, the minister did not give a deadline

M B Subba GELEPHU

The business community in Gelephu raised various is­sues and problems affecting them with the Minister for Information and Commu­nications Lyonpo Nandalal Rai during his visit here on Sunday.

It was the third public meeting held by Lyonpo Nandalal Rai, the most frequent visitor to Sarpang, his home dzongkhag, in the capacity of a cabinet minister this year.

Gelephu’s quest for having an airport and a permanent bridge over Maokhola, the two dominant topics during the meeting, however, re­mained unanswered. He did not give any comprehensive or clear-cut answers to the people’s queries on when the two projects would actually take off.

But he assured that the projects are coming.

Land demarcation and the cadastral survey of 840 acres of land for the airport have been completed. The government will decide on the mode of acquisition and compensation of the land af­ter the ministry receives the detailed report on cadastral survey from the National Land Commission, the min­ister said, adding that the work might begin in five to six months from now. In fact, people here were thinking that the work would start earlier, after the minister’s significant visit to the airport site last January.

The minister, who took on a philosophical tone during the entire four-hour meeting, seemed keen to listen to the issues affecting the busi­ness community. It was to strengthen the relation of the government with the people of Gelephu that he had come, because the former will be handicapped without coop­eration from the people, he said.

“Your concerns will not go in vain, though all the issues do not fall under my jurisdiction I will reach your problems to the right place,” he assured. “I urge you (the business community) not to think only about one’s self interest, rather, you should think collectively, as ‘we’.”

Gelephu is like the heart of the region bearing lots of opportunities and scopes for development, the minister said.

A few queries by some participants also at times irked the minister a little. A businessman said it was better to invest the estimated Nu 2,000 crore budget for the airport in some other urgent projects like building and repairing bridges in remote parts of the dungkhag.

“After all, how many of us will benefit from the airport and how many of us are going to fly?” he asked the minister.

To this the minister said, “In a democracy, it is the peo­ple who tell the government about what developments have to be undertaken and if you (people) do not want the airport, I am ready to can­cel it and divert the fund to other projects,” the minister replied.

The minister, on the request of business com­munity that they be allowed to employ Indian labourers without any hindrance, sug­gested that the latter have to look for self-sustainability and long-term impact of em­ploying Indian labourers.

Other issues like difficul­ties faced by the land owners in acquiring permits to start construction in the munici­pal areas were also discussed at the meeting which was attended by officials from the ministry and various sector heads in the dungkhag.

From Bhutan Today

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