Dungkhag

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A dungkhag (Dzongkha: དྲུང་ཁག་; Wylie: drung-khag) is a sub-district of a dzongkhag (district) of Bhutan. The head of a dungkhag is a Dungpa. As of 2007, nine of the twenty dzongkhags had from one to three dungkhags, with sixteen dungkhags in total.

History

Under Bhutan's first government Act of decentralization, the Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdu Chathrim of 2002 Dungpas were given a non-voting seat on the Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdu.[1] Under the Local Government Act of 2007, dungkhags provided general administration and coordination for two or more gewogs. As a result, some gewogs within a given district were directly subordinate to dungkhags while others are directly subordinate to dzongkhags. Dungkhag Administrations guided and supported their constituent Gewog Administrations and implemented the decisions of the Dzongkhag Tshogdu. Dungpas were administrative executives that reported directly to the Dzongkhag administration. The Dungpa was empowered to attend the meetings of the Gewog Tshogdes as a non-voting member.[2]

In addition to administrative functions, Dungkhag Courts were codified under the Judicial Act of 2007 and Constitution of 2008 as a court of first instance within the judicial system of Bhutan. These courts are subordinate to Dzongkhag Courts.[3][4]

Under the Local Government Act of 2009, the administrative status of dungkhags is eschewed, and Dungpas are not specified to attend meetings of the Dzongkhag Tshogdu. The repeal of the Local Government Act of 2007 means that although dungkhags are no longer legal administrative divisions, they remain judicial and law enforcement jurisdictions under the Constitution.[4][5]

List of dungkhags

The internal territorial divisions of Bhutan, including dungkhags and their constituent gewogs, are subject to alteration by the Government of Bhutan through creation, transfer, and merger.[4][5] For example, in 2002, there were 199 gewogs in the 20 dzongkhags;[6] by 2005, there were 205.[7] In 2007, Lhamozingkha Dungkhag was formally transferred from Sarpang Dzongkhag to Dagana Dzongkhag,[8] affecting the town of Lhamozingkha and three constituent gewogs – Lhamozingkha, Deorali and Nichula (Zinchula) – that formed the westernmost part of Sarpang and became the southernmost part of Dagana.[9] Such changes are reflected in the list below.

As of 2007, there were 16 dungkhags among nine of twenty Bhutanese dzongkhags.[10][11]

Dzongkhag[8][11] Dungkhag[8][10][11] Gewog[8][11]
Chukha
 Phuentsholing[12] Dala
Logchina
Phuentsholing
Dagana
 Dagapela Dorona
Goshi
Trashiding
Lhamoy Zingkha[13] Lhamoy Zingkha
Deorali
Nichula
Pema Gatshel
 Nganglam[14] Dechenling
Choekhorling
Norbugang
Samdrup Jongkhar
 Bhangtar[15] Dalim
Martshala
Samrang
Jomotsangkha[16][17] Lauri
Serthi
Samdrup Choling[15][18] Pemathang
Phuntshothang
Samtse
 Chengmari Chengmari
Chargharey
Dorokha[19] Denchukha
Dorohka
Dungtoe
Sipsu Bara
Tendu
Biru
Lehereni
Sipsu
Sarpang
 Gelephu Bhur
Gelephu
Sherzhong
Taklai
Thimphu
 Lingzhi[20] Lingzhi
Naro
Soe
Trashigang
 Sakteng Merak
Sakten
Thrimshing[21] Kangpara
Thrimshing
Wamrong[22] Khaling
Lumang
Zhemgang
 Panbang[23] Bjoka
Goshing
Ngangla
Phangkhar

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdu Chathrim 2002" (PDF). Government of Bhutan. 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2011-01-20. |chapter= ignored (help)
  2. ↑ "Local Government Act of Bhutan 2007" (PDF). Government of Bhutan. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2011-01-20. |chapter= ignored (help)
  3. ↑ "Judicial Service Act of Bhutan 2007" (PDF). Government of Bhutan. 2007-02-20. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan" (PDF). Government of Bhutan. 2008-07-18. Retrieved 2010-10-08.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Local Government Act of Bhutan 2009" (PDF). Government of Bhutan. 2009-09-11. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
  6. ↑ "[Ninth Five Year Plan] Part Three: Dzongkhag and Geog Health Sector" (PDF). Government of Bhutan, Ministry of Health. 2002. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  7. ↑ "The Kingdom of Bhutan – Administrative Units". Geo Hive. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Sarpang Dzongkhag Administration online – "Handing-Taking"". Wayback Machine Internet Archive. 2008-03-19. Archived from the original on 2008-03-19. Retrieved 2011-01-23.
  9. ↑ "Sarpang Dzongkhag Ninth Plan (2002-2007)" (PDF).
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Law, Gwillim (2007). "Gewogs of Bhutan". Statoids online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 "Administrative Units". Bhutan Peoples' Party. 2007-07-22. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  12. ↑ Chhetri, Pushkar (2010-05-15). "Illegal car importers sentenced". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  13. ↑ Dahal, Rabi C. (2010-02-03). "Education reaches remote children". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  14. ↑ Namgyal, Gembo (2010-05-11). "Farm road goes to Dechiling Gewog". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Dahal, Rabi C. (2010-02-12). "Branding khamti rice". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  16. ↑ Dahal, Rabi C. (2010-02-23). "Road first, say Lauri and Serthi". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
  17. ↑ Dahal, Rabi C. (2010-05-07). "Contractor fined for breach of terms". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  18. ↑ Dahal, Rabi C. (2010-02-19). "Ginger yield slumps in Pemathang". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  19. ↑ Wangchuck, Jigme (2010-05-23). "BDFCL in Dorokha". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  20. ↑ "Thimphu". Bhutan Men-Lha Adventures. 2009-04-17. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  21. ↑ "Training for Community Forest Executive Members". Royal Society for Protection of Nature (Bhutan). 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  22. ↑ Rinchen, Sonam (2008-01-19). "Teenage pregnancy: remote schools concerned". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  23. ↑ Dahal, Rabi C. (2010-03-22). "Fallow fields and dying trees". Bhutan Observer online. Retrieved 2011-02-12.