Farmland in Singu, Madaya returned to rightful owners

March 15, 2017

Chairman of the Central Committee for Re-scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands and Leader of the Leading Committee for Farmers Rights, Protection and Interests Promotion Vice President U Henry Van Thio attended a ceremony to present farmland work permit certificates for the relinquished lands to the rightful owners in Singu and Madaya Townships at a hall in Singu, Pyin Oo Lwin District in Mandalay Region yesterday morning.

The Secretary of the Committee for Re-scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands for Mandalay Region reported on the progress of work to provide farmland work permit certificates to the rightful owners in Singu and Madaya Townships. The Vice President then presented farmland work permit certificates to U Saw Aung on behalf of the farmers from Nyaungwin Village in Singu Township.

The Vice President and his entourage proceeded to Kanbalu Township to attend a similar ceremony and Chairman of Committee for Re-scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands for Sagaing Region Chief Minister Dr Myint Naing explained matters related to the relinquished farmlands. U Henry Van Thio handed over temporary farmland work permit certificates to three farmers. Union Minister Dr Aung Thu, Sagaing Region Chief Minister Dr Myint Naing and Amyotha Hluttaw representative U Ba Myo Thein also presented the same certificates to the farmers.

The Vice President said the government has been striving to return confiscated farmlands and other lands to the rightful owners by laying down policies and guidelines and establishing time limit for addressing farmland disputes. He added farmlands were the lifeblood for farmers, saying the government had been trying to return confiscated farmlands to the rightful owners ahead of the cultivation season in a transparent and systematic manner. The Vice President also urged civil servants from region/state governments to efficiently study farmland law, rules and regulations to be able to return confiscated farmlands to the rightful owners in a timely manner, highlighting that farmer’s participation is a must in the process.

Farmland work permit certificates were presented for 1,269.3 acres of the relinquished lands in the area of No (121) Supply and Transport Battalion in Singu Township to 225 rightful farmers and 140.51 acres of farmland in the compound of the leprosy hospital (Yenanttha) in Madaya Township via 23 rightful farmers. Similarly, temporary farmland work permit certificates were handed over for the 3,792.64 acres of the relinquished farmland in Kanbalu District to 228 rightful farmers.

The Vice President and party visited Thaphanseik Dam in Kyun Hla Township and toured the control room, outlets, intake channel and hydropower plant. Director-General U Kyaw Myint Hlaing of the Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department reported facts and figures of the dam, annual rainfall, water distribution for summer paddy and hydropower generation to the Vice President. Thaphanseik Dam was constructed in 1996 and commissioned into service in 2001. The dam can store 279,400 acre-ft of water and is capable of irrigating water to over 750,000 agricultural farmlands.

Afterwards, they went to Kani Township via Monywa to visit Taungpyawtwin and Twinmataung, where they were briefed about the production of natural spirulina by the officials. They also inspected the construction of a retaining wall along the Chindwin River in Monywa.

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar