NAME OF THE GEWOG: KURTOED   

Background:

Rolling from Lhuentse towards the extreme corner to the North, after 45km drive on unpaved road is Dungkar, a village of pure Kurtoep. It is well known in its history significance throughout the nation.

The history discloses that the name of the place was originated from the physical shape of the land. The place bears the exact shape of a conch shell. The land form of the village can be seen from the place called Tabandchen.

Kurtoed Gewog is one of the developing Gewog among the eight Gewogs under Lhuentse  Dzongkhag. Gewog Office is located at Dungkar which is about three hours drive from the Dzongkhag Headquarters (altitude 2023 m above sea level). Gewog has a total area of approximately 1076 square kilometer with sparsely distributed population in the five Chiwogs of Dungkar, Tabi, Jasabi-Ugyenphu, Tang-Roong-Wawel and Chagdzom-Chhusa. By size, it is the biggest but the least populated Gewog in the Dzongkhag housing 235 households with total population of 2212 as per census record.

Ancestral home town of our beloved monarchs, the Gewog takes pride in having two standing historical structures called Dungkar Choeje Lhakhang and Nagtsang Lhakhang where Jigme Namgyel was born. Besides historical sites of Dungkar Choeje Lhakhang and Nagtsang, the Gewog is also blessed with numerous religiously sacred places and Lhakhangs. The most prominent of all are Rinchen Bumpa, Kuenzangling, and Ugyenphu which are associated with the visit of Guru Rinpoche and Longchen Rabjam.

The Gewog is connected with a 45 km of GC road. All the five Chiwogs are connected with farm road.

Other infrastructures and facilities include Dungkar Primary School, Chagdzom ECR, one RNR centre, one Community Center/Gewog Banking, one Farm Shop, one BHU and three outreach clinics at distant villages of Jasabi, Chakzam, and Thuenpey respectively.

Gewog also falls under the Wangchuck Centennial National Park having Park’s Eastern Office located at Dungkar.

Wet land and dry land cultivation dominate agriculture land use with minimal orchard development.The Gewog has a fertile soil for growing both food and cash crops. As such it is expected that there will be booming of agriculture produces in near future as all five Chiwog are connected with farm road. But the Gewog’s development potentials is limited by lack of access market and crop damage by wild animals, farm labor shortage and post harvest losses.

Current Situation

The Gewog has social infrastructure such as RNR center, one farm Shop, one Community Pry School, one Extended Classroom, one BHU, three Out Reach Clinics (ORC), thirteen lhakhangs (including Nagtshang) and one Community Centre/Gewog Banking. Gewog Centre and Chiwogs are connected by motor able road. Basic Services such as Electricity, Mobile services and clean drinking water are covered to all the Chiwogs.

Opportunities and Strength

Lhuentse Dzongkhag is well known for its richness in sacred site as Dzong (Lhuendrup Rinchen Tsei Dzong) itself is one of the sacred Dzong in the history of Bhutan. Likewise Kurtoed Gewog is also known for housing many sacred places and sites including birth place of our beloved monarchs. As blessed by Guru Rinpoche and Longchen Ramjam, Gewog has fertile soil and suitable climatic condition to grow almost all nine types of crops ( Dru Na Gu).

The diverse agro-ecological condition in the Gewog provides potentials for growing cash crops such as tree tomato, potatoes, brinjal, ginger and cereal crops such as red Rice, mustard, millet, buckwheat and maize.

Most importantly, the Gewog has high potentiality for establishing Cultural Based Tourism and Eco-Tourism.

 Challenges and Weaknesses

One of the biggest challenges for the Gewog is not having market to sell farm produce.

The majority of the people depend on agriculture and rearing of livestock but farm labour shortages and damage of crops by wild animals is a serious threat which have discourage people from cultivating on larger scale. The rural-urban migration is the main cause of farm labor shortages in the Gewog as educated youth move out of farmstead to bigger town in search of employment. These also result in increased of Gungtongs.

 

Area                            :           1076 Sq Km

Population                 :             2212

Households                :           226

 

Local Government Officials:

Sl. No.

Designation

Name

Contact No.

1

Gup

Karpola

17347823

2

Mangmi

Ugyen Pelden

17523060

3

Tshogpa (Chagdzom-Chhusa)

Karma Jamtsho

17872753

4

Tshogpa (Tangroong-Wawale)

Jurmey

17489103

5

Tshogpa (Dungkar)

Tenzin Norbu

17949931

6

Tshogpa (Dungkar)

Sangay Tshering

17596059

7

Tshogpa (Jasabi-Ugyenphu)

Sonam Dorji

17808431

 

Population details:

Name of Chiwog

No. of Households

 Population of Chiwog

No. of Gungtong (Empty Households)

Chagdzom-Chhusa

42

501

10

Dungkar

71

647

28

Jasabi-Ugyenphu

23

247

10

Tabi

33

300

16

Tangroong-Wawel

57

517

22

 Total

226

2212

86

 

Civil Servant:

Sl. No.

Designation

Name

Contact No.

1

Gewog ADM Officer

Tashi Tshering

17755591

2

Principal (Dungkar PS)

Tenzin Wangdi

17130454

3

Principal In-Charge(Chagdzom ECR)

Yeshi Tshewang

16446116

4

Agriculture Extension Officer

Ugyen Wangchuk

17709129

5

Livestock Extension Officer

Ugyen Dorji

16924062

6

Ranger (WCNP)

Dorji Wangchuk

17320647

7

Health Assistant

Dorji Wangchuk

17479289

8

Community Centre Operator

Karma Dema

17682181

 

Education:

Sl. No.

Name of School

No. of Teachers

No. of Students

Male

Female

Boys

Girls

1

Dungkar PS

7

2

42

49

2

Chagdzom ECR

2

-

9

14

           

 Total No. ECCD:2

Dungkar

 

No. of Learners

Male

Female

9

8

 

Chagdzom

No. of Learners

5

5

 

Health                       

Sl. No.

Details

Place

1

Basic Health Unit

Dungkar

2

3 Out Reach Clinic

Jasabi, Thuenpey & Chagdzom

 

Road Connection      :

Road Name

Road Type

(Farm road/Gewog Center road/Feeder road etc.)

Road Length (KM)

Year of Construction

Lhuentse-Rabung - GC

GC road (blacktopped)

47

 

Tabi-Jasabi

 Farm road

7

2013

Rabung-Chhusa

 Farm road

21.2

2013

Wamdrang-Naling Zam

 Farm road

1

2013

Approach Road to Kunzangling

Approach road

1.5

2013-2014

Thuenpey-Sershong

 Farm road

5

2016-2017

Tokarshong-Wawel-Signar

 Farm road

2.3

2016-2017

Barab-Naling

Farn road

4.5

2020-2021

Dungkar Yungma-Tshongsa

Farm road

2.5

2021-2022

 

Local Festivals & Tshechus

Tshechus & Local Festivals

Location

Lunar Calendar date of Tshechu/Festival

Dungkar Cham/Tshechu

Dungkar Choejee lhakhang

8th to 11th day of 11th month every year.

Prew

All five Chiwogs (Grand Celebration in Jasabi-Ugyenphu Chiwog)

10th to 12th day of the 4th month every year

Chha

Chhusa & Zimpong

2nd to 4th day of the 8th month alternative year

 

Important Pilgrimage sites (Ney/Hot spring)

Important Pilgrimage sites (Ney/Hot spring)

Location

Ney Rinchen Bumpa

Chagdzom-Chhusa Chiwog

Nya Goenpa

Jasabi-Ugyenphu Chiwog

Khamphu Ney

Jasabi-Ugyenphu Chiwog

Khenpa Lung Tshachhu

Jasabi-Ugyenphu Chiwog

 

Trade & Industry Information:

Business Type(Shops/Bars/Hotels/factory, etc)

Registered Name

Location

Large/Medium/Micro/Others

Shop cum bar

Tashi Pelden

Dungkar

Micro

Shop cum bar

TashiLa

Dungkar

Micro

Shop cum bar

Yeshi Choki

Dungkar

Micro

Shop

Sonam Pemo

Tabi

Micro  

Shop cum bar

Ugyen Rinzin

Thuenpey

Micro

Shop

Tshering Wangdi

Drabling

Micro

 

RNRC             :           1 Centre, Agriculture and Livestock Extension

Sl. No.

Agriculture

Livestock

Other

1

  • Two Vegetables groups & one Rice Packaging Unit

No Dairy Group

  • 2 community forest groups

 

Tele-commutation     :           100% coverage by both B mobile and T cell

Electricity                  :           All Chiwogs connected

 

Goshey Nyenshey in Gewog:

Sl. No.

Name

Village

Contact No.

1

Phuntsho Tshewang

Jasabi

17808308

2

Rinchen Phuntsho

Tabi

17951866

3

Ugyen Tshering (ex-Gup)

Dungkar

17788913

4

Ugyen Rinzin

Thuenpey

17518896

5

Tshering Dorji

Chagdzom

17360202

6

KenchoLa

Sewel

17808072

7

Karma Tshering

Thangbi

17754977

 

List of Ex-Armed Forces in Gewog:

Sl. No.

Name

CID No

Organization/Post

Village

Remarks

 

1

Rinchen

10604001738

RBA/Chuma

Thangbi

 

2

Kunzang Tshering

10604000059

RBA/Peljab

Chagdzom

 

3

Pema Wangdi

10604002139

RBA/Drimpon

Wamdrang

 

4

Tshewang Norbu

10604001073

RBA/Drimpon

Dungkar

 

5

Tenzin Dorji

10604000769

RBA/chuma

Zimpong

 

6

TsheringLa

10604000733

RBA/Gopa

Lamselkekpa

 

7

Chimi Wangdi

10604000532

RBA/Chuma

Jasabi

 

8

Damchoe

10601003489

RBA/Drimpon

Chhusa

From Gangzur

9

Sonam Rinchen

10604001796

RBA/Peljab

Thowa

 

10

Cheten Tshering

11608002419

RBA/Chuma

Gurta

From T/Yangtse

11

Tshewang Norbu

10604001073

RBA/Drimpon

Sewel

 

12

Sonam Phuntsho

10604000765

RBA/Dedrim

Lhasambi

 

13

Tshering Wangdi

12007002384

RBA/Dedrim

Wamdrang

 

14

Sherab Dorji

10604000780

RBA/Chuma

Menbi

 

15

Rinzin

10604002221

RBG/Chuma

Lhasambi