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Bhutan Local Government
Local government in 1991 was organized into four zones,
or
dzongdey, and eighteen districts, or
dzongkhag
(see
fig. 13). Before the zonal administration system was
established
beginning in 1988 and 1989, the central government
interacted
directly with district governments. The new level of
administration
was established, according to official sources, to "bring
administration closer to the people" and to "expedite
projects
without having to refer constantly to the ministry." In
other
words, the zonal setup was to provide a more efficient
distribution
of personnel and administrative and technical skills. The
zonal
boundaries were said to be dictated by geophysical and
agroclimatic
considerations. Zonal administrators responsible for
coordinating
central policies and plans acted as a liaisons between the
central
ministries and departments and district governments. Each
zonal
headquarters had nine divisions: administration, accounts,
agriculture, animal husbandry, education, engineering,
health,
irrigation, and planning. The divisions were staffed with
former
civil service employees of the Ministry of Home Affairs
and with
technical personnel from the various sectors in the
districts. Four
zones were established in 1988 and 1989: Zone I, including
four
western districts, seated at Chhukha; Zone II, including
four
central districts, seated at Chirang; Zone III, including
four
central districts, seated at Geylegphug; and Zone IV,
including
five eastern districts, seated at Yonphula. Although
Thimphu
District and Thimphu Municipality were within the
boundaries of
Zone I, they remained outside the zonal system. By 1991,
however,
only Zone IV was fully functioning.
Eighteen districts comprised local government at the
next
echelon. Each district was headed by an appointed district
officer,
(dzongda, assisted by a deputy district officer,
dzongda
wongmo or dzongrab), who was responsible for
development
planning and civil administration. Formerly appointed by
the Druk
Gyalpo, district officers have been appointed by the Royal
Civil
Service Commission since 1982. Each district also had a
district
development committee comprising elected representatives
and
government officials.
Districts were further subdivided into subdistricts
(dungkhag) and village blocks or groups
(gewog). Ten
of the eighteen districts had subdistricts, which were
further
subdivided into village groups. The subdistrict served as
an
intermediate level of administration between district
government
and some villages in larger districts. These same
districts also
had village groups that were immediately subordinate to
the
district government. In the remaining eight smaller
districts,
village groups were directly subordinate to the district
government. In 1989 there were 191 village groups, 67 of
which were
organized into 18 subdistricts and 124 of which were
immediately
subordinate to the district government. Subdistrict
officers
(dungpa) led the subdistricts, and village heads
(gup
in the north, mandal in the south) were in charge
of the
village groups. Despite greater central government
involvement with
economic development programs since the 1960s, villages
continued
to have broad local autonomy. There were 4,500 villages
and
settlements in 1991.
Bhutan also has two municipal corporations--Thimphu and
Phuntsholing--headed by mayors (thrompon).
Thimphu's
municipal corporation was set up in 1974 as an experiment
in local
self-government. Headed by a chairperson, the corporation
concentrated on sanitation and beautification projects. A
superintending engineer, an administrative officer, a
plant
protection officer, and a tax collector served under a
chief
executive officer. Ward councillors carried out local
representation in the city's seven wards. In subsequent
years,
municipal boards were set up in the larger towns.
Data as of September 1991
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