𝐆𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐰𝐨𝐠𝐬

…𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒂𝒙, 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐
𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏

By Leki Chungdon 

Gewog officials in Gakiling Gewog, Haa, have been conducting door to door visits across all
chiwogs to deliver essential public services directly to households, ensuring timely and inclusive
access, particularly for residents living in remote areas.

During the visits, officials processed land tax concessions, collected land tax payments, and
received contributions for rural life insurance schemes. These services were delivered on site to
reduce the need for residents to travel long distances to gewog or dzongkhag offices. In addition,
officials briefed residents on various government support programmes, explained the benefits of
insurance coverage, addressed public queries, verified records, and provided guidance to ensure
accurate and smooth processing of documents.

The initiative has significantly improved the efficiency of service delivery while strengthening
communication between local authorities and communities. Gewog officials said the approach
reflects their continued commitment to enhancing public services and supporting the welfare of
rural households.

The Gakiling Gup said the primary objective of delivering door to door services up to the chiwog
level is to reach underserved populations and ensure that essential public services are provided
efficiently and inclusively.

“This approach is particularly necessary given the gewog’s vast geographical coverage of 192.22
square kilometres and its sparse population. Many villages are located far from their respective
chiwog centres, while the chiwogs themselves are situated at considerable distances from the
gewog headquarters. The nearest chiwog is about 20 kilometres away, while the farthest is nearly
65 kilometres away,” he said.

He added that due to challenges related to distance, terrain, and accessibility, door to door service
delivery is critical to ensure timely, equitable, and inclusive access to services for all residents.
According to the Gup, the gewog conducts quarterly visits to the chiwogs, during which essential
land and census services are provided, including assistance with filling out required forms and
compiling necessary documents. At the end of each year, officials also collect land taxes and
insurance contributions.

Although these services are available online and the public is expected to access them
independently, the Gup said many residents are either uneducated or lack the digital skills
required to navigate online systems.

“As a result, they are often unable to complete the necessary procedures on time, which can have
serious consequences later. Given the importance of timely payment of taxes and insurance, the
gewog ensures that no individual is left unpaid,” he said.

He added that annual census services are provided at the chiwog level to ensure full population
coverage. Without door to door service delivery, residents would be required to undertake trips
that could take up to three days and incur transportation costs ranging from Nu 4,000 to Nu
5,000, with no guarantee of meeting the concerned officials upon arrival.

Despite its clear benefits, the initiative faces sustainability challenges due to transportation
constraints. The current budget is insufficient to cover vehicle maintenance, fuel expenses, and
daily subsistence allowances for gewog civil servants. As a result, officials sometimes pay for
fuel from their own pockets, and staff members often travel to the chiwogs without receiving
DSA.

With one year remaining in his tenure, the Gup said he would continue to provide door to door
services at the chiwog level and expressed hope that the initiative would be sustained in the
future for the continued benefit of the public.

He added that all land related transactions, census registration or transfer documents, and
insurance claims are processed at the chiwog level, after which the gewog submits the
documents to the relevant agencies, ensuring residents do not need to visit gewog or dzongkhag
offices.

The Sektena Chiwog Tshogpa said door to door service delivery offers significant advantages
over requiring residents to visit the gewog office.

“Most notably, it saves considerable time and travel expenses, reduces long queues and waiting
periods, and ensures that people living in remote and hard to reach areas can access essential
public services without difficulty,” he said.

He added that during the visits, one of the most valuable aspects of the service was the
immediate guidance and clarification provided by gewog staff.

“Forms and procedures were explained clearly and in a simple manner, allowing residents to
better understand the requirements and complete applications correctly. As a result, many issues
were resolved on the spot, eliminating the need for follow up visits and reducing delays in
service delivery,” he said.

According to him, officials also took time to explain government support programmes in clear
and accessible language, patiently addressing questions and doubts, which made the overall
service effective and user friendly. He said the initiative has substantially reduced the time required to access public services while minimising travel costs and reducing the need for repeated visits to government offices.

He further suggested that the initiative could be strengthened by introducing more mobile door to
door services for remote areas, expanding the availability of online forms and applications to
enable faster processing, and extending office hours to better accommodate working residents.

The Ngatse Chiwog Tshogpa said door to door service delivery has been particularly beneficial
given the gewog’s underdeveloped infrastructure and poor road conditions.
“Accessing the gewog office is often difficult and time consuming, especially during adverse
weather or road disruptions,” he said.

According to him, the initiative has ensured essential services reach the community directly,
eliminating the need for residents to undertake challenging and costly journeys. He added that
services such as insurance registration and processing are now carried out online with assistance
from officials during these visits, making the process more convenient and accessible.
He said the approach has significantly reduced travel related hardships while improving service
coverage and efficiency, particularly for communities located in remote and poorly connected
areas.

The Thangdokha Tshogpa said Gakiling Gewog is located in an extremely remote part of the
district, with his chiwog situated far from the gewog centre and lacking convenient transportation
access.

“Villagers are often required to spend approximately Nu 4,000 simply to travel to the gewog
office, an expense that places a heavy financial burden on households, particularly poorer
families. In many cases, the cost of travel discourages villagers from accessing essential public
services altogether,” he said.

Against this backdrop, he said the introduction of door to door service delivery has significantly
improved access to government services for remote communities by removing geographical and
financial barriers that previously prevented people from enrolling in life insurance schemes or
completing tax related procedures.

He added that the service has been especially beneficial for elderly residents, women, and low
income households who face greater difficulty undertaking long and costly journeys.

According to the Tshogpa, the approach has not only reduced out of pocket expenses for
villagers but has also strengthened service coverage and inclusivity at the community level. He
said continued support for similar outreach programmes would greatly benefit vulnerable
populations in remote gewogs.