SARBHANG

8 January, 2009 - Following the recent bomb blast, which killed four and injured two foresters, Sarpang dzongkhag has asked Bhutanese to refrain from travelling to Dadgari and Salapara, across the border, for security reasons.

Gelephu and Sarpang residents often visit Dadgari and Salapara, the adjoining settlements in the Indian state of Assam to shop.

Sarpang dzongda, Sangay Thinley, told Kuensel that people should not go to Dadgari and Salapari for their own security. “There are possibilities of our people being kidnapped by the militants,” he said.

But dzongda Sangay Thinley assured that the ban would be lifted once the situation returns to normal. “It’s a time-being measure. We’ll lift it when things calm down,” he said.

On January 3, the dzongkhag called a security meeting and discussed the need for a voluntary security force. The meeting was attended by dzongkhag officials, regional heads, representatives from the armed forces, the business community and village gups.

“What’s important is the prevention of future mishaps,” said a dzongkhag official.

Gups from the 13 gewogs in the dzongkhag said that volunteer groups were formed to guard communities at night, the moment they heard about the incident in Singye. A person from each household is volunteering to patrol every night.

The group will check on community centres, like the school, hospital and community lhakhangs.

Even in Gelephu town, residents had formed volunteer groups to guard the town during the tsechu, which ends today. Dzongda Sangay Thinley said that their responsibility is to ensure safety of the people living in the dzongkhag and security had to beef up.

Meanwhile, the committee discussed volunteer vigilance in villages, that do not share porous border, to be discontinued after the tsechu. However, villages at the border, from Singye to Tarithang, will provide voluntary security for the communities’ safety.

Vehicles will not be allowed to ply between Hilley bridge and Gelephu, about 33 km, from 9 pm to 6 am.