Pemagatshel market shift raises concern (Economy)

Thimphu, September 30: District Administration in Pemagatshel has begun studies on feasibility of shifting the current town to a new location, hoping that this will economically help the Kathokpas.

If works go as planned, the current town will be shifted to a new location, 12 km away from today’s setting.

According to district administration officials, they expect the expansion of market after the shift since the location lies centrally accessible to all people of 12 geogs.

However, local leaders fear the environmental degradation due to the shift in a new location. They also expressed less hope that economic activities will get boost. Many such plans prepared by the government have remained in papers while works to shift markets in many districts have been stopped after half done, where people rarely showed interest in making houses of open shops.

The government has not initiated tree-plantation in the old market while greenery in new locations has been eroded, leading to depletion of forest cover of the country. Bhutan News Service