The department says that they welcome any new/fresh proposals/ideas from the Tsirang Dzongkhag Administration to run business inside the desolate Chanchay CSI park facility
The Department of Industry (DoI) has welcomed the Tsirang Dzongkhag Administration and other interested stakeholders to put forth proposals for any agro or livestock based businesses to be operated inside the desolate Chanchay Cottage and Small Industry (CSI) Park in Tsirang.
The statement comes after a lacklustre number of proponents showing interest in the park, prompting the Tsirang Dzongkhag Administration (Dzongkhag Agriculture and Livestock sector) along with the Semjong Gewog Administration to seek new ventures and avenues from where the Park could economically benefit the Dzongkhag. The Dzongkhag proposes to transform the Park into an agriculture and livestock hub where proponents can grow, develop and package and market agricultural and livestock products.
This way, the facility, which has been established incurring heavy expenditure, will not remain idle, according to Dzongkhag officials.
The Dzongkhag stakeholders are looking for a change in ingredients to be shelved out of the facility. “The park is not working out like the way the Ministry has planned, so we thought why let the investments on infrastructures go in vain. We are planning for collaboration between different sectors that could eventually benefit the local people economically,” a dzongkhag official said.
The Dzongkhag Economic Development Officer (EDO), Ugyen Dhendup said that for now, the Chanchay CSI park will be prioritized for productive utilization in various sectors. “In the short term, we aim to support promising farmers for agricultural activities and facilitate livestock production units for interested proponents.”
The dzongkhag is also famous for its various livestock products. For that, the livestock sector will also claim a stake in the park to promote and market those products. The park could cater to the livestock farmers in the vicinity as well as other gewogs as well. “All livestock products like milk, cheese and butter could be well packaged and marketed from the park. People need not go anywhere to sell it once we set up the processing plants,” he added. Additionally, the Dzongkhag has plans to use the space for activities like homestays and meeting sites. “For the long term, we envision transforming it into an agriculture hub, contingent on support from the Building Resilient Commercial Smallholder Agriculture (BRECSA) and other stakeholders,” the EDO said. “What we have proposed is for a hub where farmers can grow, develop, package and market their products all from within the park’s premises,” the EDO said. “This way, not only so many public and private resources will be saved, but farmers from the entire Dzongkhag can bring their products here to be readily sold or marketed.”
The Changchay CSI Park was established in consultation and collaboration with the Tsirang Dzongkhag Administration to promote agro-based industries. While the infrastructure for the park was developed by the then Startup and CSI Development Flagship Program, the site was identified with the Dzongkhag’s input considering various factors, notably abundance of agro-based products for raw material sourcing.
According to DoI, the Park initially saw interest from many applicants and at one point, 12 proponents were allotted provisional plots to start their industries. “However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of the proponents withdrew their projects from the park, citing access to finance and lack of collateral assets and moratorium on loans at that time. Currently, there is only one proponent who is in the process of starting their industry in the park,” the DoI said.
Additionally, to invite interested applicants, the DoI makes multiple periodic announcements via the main stream media and the Department’s own website and social media pages inviting interested proponents to apply for vacant plots at the park. One recent announcement was made in November 2024.
The Department has also taken proactive steps to attract new applications and also suggests that if the Tsirang Dzongkhag Administration is in receipt of any proposals from the private sector interested in leasing the plot for their industrial endeavour, the Administration is most welcome to forward the proposals to the Department for facilitation. As of date, the Dzongkhag has not intimated the Department.
“The Department will strive to continue its efforts to make the park operational to achieve the intended purpose,” it said.
Completed in July 2021, the Park is spread over an area of 1 acre, designed to accommodate approximately 14 CSIs. The project is worth around Nu 52 Million and was aimed at leveraging Tsirang’s rich agricultural produce to boost the local economy.
The park is situated on a level ground which separates Semjong and Gosarling gewogs of Tsirang dzongkhag on the banks of the famous Chanchay river.
Tashi Namgyal from Thimphu
