𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞

…𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝑫𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒀𝒆𝒏𝒍𝒂𝒈 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒅𝒆 𝑬𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

By Lhendup Wangmo

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is set to form a high-level committee to thoroughly assess and identify suitable locations for the establishment of Satellite Towns, or Yenlag Thromde, in the districts. This announcement was made by Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Chandra Bdr. Gurung, during the question hour session in the National Assembly today.

The establishment of Yenlag Thromde has been a topic of discussion since the Parliament passed a decision in 2015 to create these satellite towns alongside Dzongkhag Thromdes. However, the process has faced delays due to a writ filed by the Supreme Court, preventing formal establishment.

During the session, Kinzang Wangchuk, the Member of Parliament for Dramedtse Ngatshang, raised concerns about the current status of the approved Yenlag Thromde. He pointed out that these towns, once designated for development, have since been merged with their respective gewogs and are now classified as Gewog Throm (sub-district towns). As a result, municipal amenities such as waste management, water supply, and street lighting have been discontinued.

“These towns are no longer recognized as they once were. They are now part of the gewogs, but these towns are not receiving proper support. How does the Ministry plan to ensure that these areas receive the necessary amenities and that taxes are levied fairly?” Kinzang Wangchuk asked. He also accentuated that some towns, despite lacking basic urban amenities, are still being required to pay taxes at the same rate as urban areas.

In response, Minister Chandra Bdr. Gurung clarified that tax rates for the Yenlag Thromde are not based on the availability of amenities. Instead, taxes are determined by property assessments conducted by the Property Assessment and Valuation Agency. The valuations are based on factors such as land use (residential or commercial), land value, economic activities, and the proximity of the land to highways.

Regarding the provision of municipal amenities, the Minister explained that local governments hold the authority to plan and implement development projects for both Dzongkhag and Yenlag Thromdes under the Local Government Act of Bhutan. He stated, “The Gewog Administration oversees the implementation of projects in Yenlag Thromdes, as they fall under the gewog jurisdiction. We have supported 11 such projects so far and continue to assist local governments with spatial planning and other development needs.”

Minister Chandra Bdr. Gurung also accentuated that basic amenities like water supply, roads, power supply, sewage systems, waste management, and stormwater drainage are being planned and implemented as part of the 13th Five-Year Plan.

The announcement marks a renewed effort to address the gaps in infrastructure and development in Yenlag Thromdes, as the Ministry moves forward with efforts to identify and establish these satellite towns in line with the country’s urbanization goals.