It’s final: gups rule gewogs
Gups will have the signing, supervision, and monitoring authority at the gewog. GAOs would now be accountable to gups. It was also decided that the administrative officers would cease signatory authority over gewog procurements and administrative claims. The gup and gewog accountants would have joint signatory authority. “In the absence of the gup, gewog mangmi would have the authority to sign,” said assembly speaker Jigmi Tshultim.
Legislative committee member and Samdrupjongkhar MP, Ugyen Dorji, told Kuensel that GAOs would be the in-charge of the gewog administration centre. “GAOs will have most of the functions but they’ll be executed only under the supervision of the gup,” he said.
The GNH commission had appointed GAOs as the “chief executive officers” at the gewog level to monitor Plan activities. But there was much confusion after the gewog yargye tshogchung (GYT) chathrim still empowered gups with all the executive powers in the gewog.
The Assembly also decided that GAOs would coordinate the functioning of all civil servants at the gewog level and carry out the decisions of the dzongkhag tshogdu and gewog tshogde. They would also compile and submit records of land, livestock, population, birth and death rates, and verify applications for timber and fuel-wood.
They would collect premiums for rural insurance to deposit with the dzongkhag administration. The administrative officers would also ensure that all rural taxes are collected, recovered and deposited with the dzongkhag by March every year. GAOs would also fine tax defaulters or file suits against them in courts.
Some MPs disagreed with the decision to make civil servants accountable to GAOs. “Senior civil servants, like school principals, should not be accountable to GAOs, as it would lead to misunderstanding and ego clashes, as most GAOs are fresh graduates,” said Punakha MP Tshering Penjor.
The chairperson of the legislative committee, Ugyen Wangdi, responded by saying that GAOs would only look after civil servants in the gewog, who were not under the supervision of dungkhags or the concerned departments. “GAOs shall be given duties and responsibilities to gain experience and enhance skills, as most of them are seen as young and unskilled to handle the administrative functions,” he said.
The NA members also replaced the title of the clause, ‘powers and functions of GAOs’ in the local government bill with ‘roles and responsibilities,’ stating that GAOs did not have powers compared to the gups.
Home minister Lyonpo Minjur Dorji said that GAOs had major roles in gewog administration and they would be given training opportunities to enhance their skills. He said that the current batch of GAOs needed at least 10 years of experience to handle the administrative functions effectively. It was also decided that the administrative officers would cease signatory authority over gewog procurements and administrative claims. The gup and gewog accountants would have joint signatory authority. “In the absence of the gup, gewog mangmi would have the authority to sign,” said assembly speaker Jigmi Tshultim.
Legislative committee member and Samdrupjongkhar MP, Ugyen Dorji, told Kuensel that GAOs would be the in-charge of the gewog administration centre. “GAOs will have most of the functions but they’ll be executed only under the supervision of the gup,” he said.
The GNH commission had appointed GAOs as the “chief executive officers” at the gewog level to monitor Plan activities. But there was much confusion after the gewog yargye tshogchung (GYT) chathrim still empowered gups with all the executive powers in the gewog.
The Assembly also decided that GAOs would coordinate the functioning of all civil servants at the gewog level and carry out the decisions of the dzongkhag tshogdu and gewog tshogde. They would also compile and submit records of land, livestock, population, birth and death rates, and verify applications for timber and fuel-wood.
They would collect premiums for rural insurance to deposit with the dzongkhag administration. The administrative officers would also ensure that all rural taxes are collected, recovered and deposited with the dzongkhag by March every year. GAOs would also fine tax defaulters or file suits against them in courts.
Some MPs disagreed with the decision to make civil servants accountable to GAOs. “Senior civil servants, like school principals, should not be accountable to GAOs, as it would lead to misunderstanding and ego clashes, as most GAOs are fresh graduates,” said Punakha MP Tshering Penjor.
The chairperson of the legislative committee, Ugyen Wangdi, responded by saying that GAOs would only look after civil servants in the gewog, who were not under the supervision of dungkhags or the concerned departments. “GAOs shall be given duties and responsibilities to gain experience and enhance skills, as most of them are seen as young and unskilled to handle the administrative functions,” he said.
The NA members also replaced the title of the clause, ‘powers and functions of GAOs’ in the local government bill with ‘roles and responsibilities,’ stating that GAOs did not have powers compared to the gups.
Home minister Lyonpo Minjur Dorji said that GAOs had major roles in gewog administration and they would be given training opportunities to enhance their skills. He said that the current batch of GAOs needed at least 10 years of experience to handle the administrative functions effectively.
