Speaker U Win Myint.
At the Pyithu Hluttaw meeting held at 10 am yesterday, Major-General Aung Soe, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, replied to the motion submitted by U Kyaw Min, of Letpadan constituency, urging the Union Government to lay down a policy promptly for practical utilisation of existing pastureland in the country as farming land or land for the village area or pastureland or some other use, after hearing the wishes of the local populace.
The deputy minister clarified that the deputy commissioner/commissioner is empowered with the establishment of pastureland, while the commissioner is authorised to cancel the pastureland under the directives in the Burma Land Revenue Directions, 1911, and rules and regulations of Upper Burma Land and Revenue Act.
“Nay Pyi Taw Council, Region and State Cabinets seldom grant removal and cancellation of pastureland easily. Depending upon the long-lasting utilisation of the land on which one is working, needs to expand the town and village area, establishment of land used for education, health, social affairs, holy land, land for cemeteries and farming land for farmers without land, in the interest of the people, are being scrutinised in accord with the existing laws and principles. For unnecessary situations not to happen, local people’s attitudes are needed to be taken into consideration. In Myanmar, there is no pastureland in Kayah and Shan States, with buffalo and bovine pastureland in Nay Pyi Taw Council Area and other Regions and States. Formerly there were 865,777.44 acres of pastureland in total. Until March 2016, there were 130,404 acres of pastureland cancelled, within the reign of the incumbent government 2514.22 acres of pastureland cancelled. Hence, there are still 732,854.10 acres of pastureland left under the current circumstance,”the Deputy Minister said. U Win Myint, Speaker of the Pyithu Hluttaw, took the approval of Hluttaw, announcing that the Hluttaw will put it on record to observe.
As regards the motion submitted by U Kyaw Min of Letpadan constituency, Daw Cho Cho of Ottwin constituency seconded.
“Over 70 per cent of the populace in Myanmar is living in rural areas, eking out their lives by farming. Out of 756,000 acres, most pastureland turned into residential areas and farming land. Laws protecting these pasturelands and the rules and regulations of cancellation and removal of pastureland still exist in the country. If it is necessary for the benefit of the people or utilisation of the land as pastureland is less, cancellation and removal is to be carried out by taking people’s desires. In the 2008 constitution, it is described that the State is to promulgate necessary laws to protect the rights of farmers.
Ministries concerned should implement the use of pastureland as farming land. Only if the remaining pastureland can be divided among farmers without farming land, will it be helpful to reduce poverty and to develop rural areas. The motion of acquisition of sufficient farming land for the most populace is wholly
supported.”
Regarding U Kyaw Min’s motion, U Yan Lin of Kyaiklat constituency, U Ne Myo Tun of Htantapin constituency, Dr U Than Aung Soe of Minhla constituency, U Kyaw Myint of Taikkyi constituency, U Phone Myint Aung of DaikU constituency, U Khin Aye of Nattalin constituency, U Tin Htwe of Waw constituency, U Thein Tun of Thabaung constituency, U Aung Win of Hmawbi constituency, Dr U Aye Kyu of Labutta constituency, U U Tun Maung of Ponngkyun constituency, Daw Soe Nwe Aye of TadaU constituency, U Sein Win of Maubin constituency, Major Sein Tun, Tatmadaw representative, U Myint Oo of Thanatpin constitution Dr Myint Thein of Nyaunglebin constituency and U Win Myint Aung of Debeyin constituency spoke in support of the motion.