With the lease term for old Chamkhar town set to expire in the next four months or so, the Bumthang District Administration is gearing up to relocate the town. As of now, the three Local Area Plans or LAPs of Dekiling, Jalikhar, and Chamkhar are being readied where the residents of the old town are expected to settle. 51 house construction works have been approved in the three new townships currently.
As of now, almost Nu 275 M worth of basic infrastructure such as a streetlight, double-lane roads, footpaths, and internal roads among others have been built.
The base course works in Chamkhar LAP are underway. The Bumthang Thromde Ngotshab said that the relocation has a national interest, which aims at developing Bumthang’s new town.
“The government has advised the Dzongkhag that since the old Chamkhar Town is a temporary one and also that the lease term is almost expiring if we keep investing in the old Chamkhar Town, there would be a budget shortage for the development of the three new LAPs. Moreover, more than half of the old Chamkhar town falls under the flood hazard or red zone,” said Ugen Sangay, Bumthang Thromde Ngotshab.
Electricity and water connections will be installed as and when the residents move.
“If people from Chamkhar town seek permission from the district administration to construct houses in the three LAPs, the district immediately approves. For drinking water connections, people can visit the municipal office for their services. And BPC is also ready to provide electricity connections if people approach them,” added Ugen Sangay.
The district administration has proposed an additional budget of over Nu 1bn to the Cabinet for carrying out the remaining base course and water supply works.
The budget will also be spent to lay footpaths, install streetlights, and carry out drainage, water supply and sewer network works among others in the three Local Area Plans.
Currently, there are 130 leaseholders in Chamkhar Town all of whom were given a 10-year lease in 2011.
