Possible eviction worries Narphung shopkeepers

30 September 2009

A recent media report on the possible eviction of shops alongside the Trashigang-Samdrup Jongkhar highway at Narphung has worried shopkeepers. Many of them are making plans to make adjustments and petition the agency concerned.

Eighty-two-year-old Khotsa, one of the first business people in Narphung, which is about 60 km from Samdrup Jongkhar towards Trashigang, said the news came to him as a shock and he did not know what to do.

“We did not receive any word from the agency concerned but the residents are already contemplating making a certain adjustment to avoid eviction,” he said.

Khotsa said he was waiting for an auspicious day to dismantle the veranda of his shop which is facing the road to create more space between his shop and the road to avoid eviction.

According to article 5.2 (g) of Road Act 2004, the road right of way shall be 100 feet wide for national highways, district roads and feeder roads except within the designated municipal boundary. The horizontal distance between the edge of carriageway and the boundary of the road right of way shall be 50 feet on both sides. Most of the shops in Narphung are hardly 50 feet away from the highway.

Given its strategic location on the highway and a lack of space nearby, the shopkeepers are planning to negotiate with the government by dismantling parts of their shops to create space for road expansion.

“We hope this will work,” said Khotsa. But many fear they would have to leave the place. “I do have land back in my village but going back to the hard village life at this age is beyond my imagination,” said Pema, another shopkeeper, and added that he did not even have a house in his village.

Tshiteem Dorji, 19, from Gomdar Gewog runs a shop started by his parents. “I was born here and the talks among the residents are worrying me. If I was to go back to the village, I don’t know how I will be able to adapt to village life,” he said with an impish smile.

Tenzin Wangmo, another shopkeeper, said she would prefer to make adjustment like others to create space for road expansion but if this was not possible, she couldn’t help but relocate her shop. Narphung town has more than 15 small shops lined on both sides of the highway.

It is not only an important stopover for travellers but also an important business centre for the people from Gomdar, Wangphu and Orong gewogs.

Some form of barter system still exists here. Farmers exchange their dairy and other forest produce with essential items like rice, oil and salt.

By Gyembo Namgyal

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