𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐠 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲

…𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝑰𝑻 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆

By Sonam Choden

Rural connectivity remains the backbone of the country’s local economy, linking farms, schools and markets to the national development vision. Yet as many gewogs struggle with deteriorating roads, the issue of sustainability and quality assurance in rural infrastructure resurfaced in Parliament.

During the recent session, the Member from Sergithang Tsirangtoed Constituency raised concerns over the quality and longevity of gewog roads constructed under the Small Development Project budget. The Member noted that although Nu. 30.7 million had been equally allocated to all 205 gewogs, many road works remained incomplete or were already showing early signs of wear.

“How does the Ministry ensure that roads under construction are done with proper quality standards, and what measures are in place to prevent the roads from deteriorating early?” the Member asked. The question reflected a broader public concern that the country’s significant investment in farm and gewog roads should not be weakened by poor design, limited supervision or inadequate technical standards.

In response, Chadra Bahadur Gurung, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, explained that responsibility for farm road construction had undergone a structural shift. “The mandate for farm roads was previously under the Department of Surface Transport prior to its transfer to the Local Government,” the Ministry clarified. The Minister stated that recognizing the need for stronger technical oversight at the local level, the government has empowered the Department of Infrastructure Development to act as the parent agency overseeing all engineers within the Local Governments.

To strengthen technical quality, the Department of Infrastructure Development has established Regional Offices for Infrastructure Development. These offices will provide specialised design and engineering support. “The Regional Offices will focus exclusively on providing professional design support for farm roads and Bailey bridges,” the Ministry noted. “With this structure in place, the Regional Offices will ensure that Local Governments receive high quality technical assistance, while engineers at the local level will take the lead in implementing the projects on the ground.”

The Ministry stated that the arrangement represents a transition toward a more decentralised but technically coordinated model of infrastructure governance. Local Governments will manage and execute projects as the institutions closest to the communities, while receiving design inputs and professional guidance from regional engineers. The Ministry said such collaboration will help address issues such as weak drainage, improper gradients and poor material quality, which are often cited as reasons for early road deterioration.

“For now, as agreed, the Department of Surface Transport will continue to provide technical support to Regional Office Engineers and Dzongkhag Engineers, particularly in the areas of design and capacity building,” stated the Ministry. It added that this transitional arrangement will remain until full responsibility is transferred and adequate capacity is developed within the Regional Offices.

According to the Ministry, the broader aim is to create a system where quality assurance becomes part of project planning from the start rather than an afterthought. With regional offices dedicated to design and monitoring and engineers on the ground accountable for implementation, the framework is intended to build ownership and professionalism. “This framework ensures a more streamlined, professional and efficient approach to road infrastructure development across all Local Governments,” said the Ministry.

Beyond administrative restructuring, the direction signals a shift in the country’s infrastructure priorities from building more roads to building better ones. As rural communities rely on these routes for education, health care and market access, the focus on design standards, technical support and accountability is expected to play a central role in strengthening the durability of the road network. If effectively implemented, the establishment of Regional Offices and the coordinated support between the Department of Surface Transport, the Department of Infrastructure Development and Local Governments could mark an important step toward ensuring long term value and resilience in public investments.

Ultimately, the parliamentary discussion highlighted a central point: development is not only about creating new connections but ensuring that the connections endure.