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Dipping business in Gedu

17 November 2009

More than seven months after Tala hydropower project was handed over to Druk Green Power Corporation on April 8 this year, shopkeepers and house owners in Gedu town say their business has become cold.
Most businessmen say they did well when Tala hydropower plant (THP) staff worked at Gedu headquarters as they were their main customers.
Now after the THP infrastructure was handover over to the Royal University of Bhutan to be used by Gaddug College of Business Studies, more than 50 percent of the 700 plus THP staff left for Punatsangchu hydropower project. The majority of the remaining staff shifted to Areykha power site located some 15 km from Gedu town.
Out of 280 THP permanent residential buildings, only 29 are retained by THP. The 29 remaining buildings will also be handed over soon. There are 86 temporary THP houses still used by its staff. And by beginning of next year, all the staff will move to Rinchentse, some nine km from Gedu town. This has worried business peopel and house owners.
The business college does not seem to bring good business. The 856 college students have everything they need in the campus including canteens, grocery shops, cobbler, beauty parlour and a tailor’s shop.
Moreover, the hospital staff, the lecturers and teachers live in government quarters. The forest staff have formed a small community with huts.
And with Phuentsholing just about 90 minutes drive from Gedu, many people with cars prefer going there to buy basic necessities. Frustrated, some shopkeepers have even quit their business. Repayment of bank loans has now become their major concern.
Some dread their buildings might soon be seized. Damchen from Gedu Main Liquor Shop said her business was doing well in the past and THP staff constituted the majority of her customers. “I am just able to sustain now,” she said.
Ap Dawa, who runs a restaurant, said the buildings would be seized if house owners are unable to pay the loans. “Our business has gone down drastically over the past few years,” he said, adding that he feared they would have to close down their businesses if the trend continued.
“Restaurant business is not lucrative either,” he said. He suggested that government encourage the establishment of private schools in Gedu to help their businesses bloom.
Commuters have become the main customers today, and shops along the highway did better than shops below the road. The recent approval of five plots for construction, three along the highway and two below the road at Meritsemo, and the approval to build huts on private lands have further piled worries for the business people.
“If huts are built and businesses are setup, shops in the town will die,” said businessman Tashi. Business people are not happy without any help from the government, he said, adding that there was no response from the government on their complaint about the problems.
Thromde Thueme, Palay Dorji, while agreeing that businesses are facing problems and houses are vacant, said there was nothing the government could do to prevent people from constructing houses on their own land.
“Plot allotment along the highway was made since no other plots were available that fell within the municipal boundary,” he explained.
One DGPC official said houses were not available when the project needed them, and many constructions have started when the project made its own arrangements.

GeduMore than seven months after Tala hydropower project was handed over to Druk Green Power Corporation on April 8 this year, shopkeepers and house owners in Gedu town say their business has become cold.

Most businessmen say they did well when Tala hydropower plant (THP) staff worked at Gedu headquarters as they were their main customers.

Now after the THP infrastructure was handover over to the Royal University of Bhutan to be used by Gaddug College of Business Studies, more than 50 percent of the 700 plus THP staff left for Punatsangchu hydropower project. The majority of the remaining staff shifted to Areykha power site located some 15 km from Gedu town.

Out of 280 THP permanent residential buildings, only 29 are retained by THP. The 29 remaining buildings will also be handed over soon. There are 86 temporary THP houses still used by its staff. And by beginning of next year, all the staff will move to Rinchentse, some nine km from Gedu town. This has worried business peopel and house owners.

The business college does not seem to bring good business. The 856 college students have everything they need in the campus including canteens, grocery shops, cobbler, beauty parlour and a tailor’s shop.

Moreover, the hospital staff, the lecturers and teachers live in government quarters. The forest staff have formed a small community with huts.

And with Phuentsholing just about 90 minutes drive from Gedu, many people with cars prefer going there to buy basic necessities. Frustrated, some shopkeepers have even quit their business. Repayment of bank loans has now become their major concern.

Some dread their buildings might soon be seized. Damchen from Gedu Main Liquor Shop said her business was doing well in the past and THP staff constituted the majority of her customers. “I am just able to sustain now,” she said.

Ap Dawa, who runs a restaurant, said the buildings would be seized if house owners are unable to pay the loans. “Our business has gone down drastically over the past few years,” he said, adding that he feared they would have to close down their businesses if the trend continued.

“Restaurant business is not lucrative either,” he said. He suggested that government encourage the establishment of private schools in Gedu to help their businesses bloom.

Commuters have become the main customers today, and shops along the highway did better than shops below the road. The recent approval of five plots for construction, three along the highway and two below the road at Meritsemo, and the approval to build huts on private lands have further piled worries for the business people.

“If huts are built and businesses are setup, shops in the town will die,” said businessman Tashi. Business people are not happy without any help from the government, he said, adding that there was no response from the government on their complaint about the problems.

Thromde Thueme, Palay Dorji, while agreeing that businesses are facing problems and houses are vacant, said there was nothing the government could do to prevent people from constructing houses on their own land.

“Plot allotment along the highway was made since no other plots were available that fell within the municipal boundary,” he explained.

One DGPC official said houses were not available when the project needed them, and many constructions have started when the project made its own arrangements.

By Sonam Pelden

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