Vice President U Henry Van Thio (Third from left) inspects building embankment to prevent salt water.
Vice President, U Henry Van Thio inspected the repair of salt water embankment at Alote village in Paung Township, Mon State yesterday afternoon, and addressed the ceremony for returning confiscated farmlands to original owners held in Kyaikmaraw.
U Henry Van Thio, Vice President and Chairman of the National Committee for Management of Natural Disasters, arrived at the site for repairing salt water embankment at Alote village in Paung township, accompanied by Union Minister Naing Thet Lwin, Mon State Chief Minister Dr Aye Zan, Deputy Minister Major General Aung Soe and responsible officials. The Vice President and party were briefed by responsible officials regarding the situation of the destroyed salt water embankment due to Cyclone Mora on May 27, 2017, emergency prevention arrangements and planned targets for fortifying the embankment.
Afterwards, the Vice President said, “The embankment was built at the expense of K 456 million, its dykes slid down due to the strong storm. In fortifying embankments in future, potential risks need to be calculated in every way systematically and Australian Vertiba Grass and mangroves should be grown for strengthening the soil.”
Alote village is situated in Paung township, and it is a wave-and-tide-prone area. The ebb and flow are happening twice a day, especially severely on Full Moon Days and New Moon Days and wind speed at the time when it coincides with storms is over 50 miles per hour.
Following that, the Vice President addressed the ceremony for returning confiscated farmlands to original owners held in the Shwe Hin Thar Hall in Kyaikmaraw township.
At the ceremony, the Vice President said, “The Union government is making arrangements for returning confiscated farmlands and other lands to their original owners in accordance with rules and laws. It takes time as farmland cases need to be scrutinized whether they comply with paperwork on ownerships and other particulars or not. Now farmers who had got their lands in their possession are urged to transform their farms from conventional farming to mechanized farming for national development. Government servicemen and officials should perform their office work with “cetana” and transparency by applying land laws and rules, procedures and the farmers also need to cooperate fully with the government officials, for the speedy accomplishment of the task at hand.”
Afterwards, Union Minister U Naing Thet Lwin, Mon State Chief Minister Dr Aye Zan, Deputy Minister Maj Gen Aung Soe, Permanent Secretary of the Defence Ministry Brig-Gen San Win and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry U Ko Ko Lwin gave (forms – 3) certificates for temporary lease to original farmers.
It has been learnt that there were 118 farmers who were given out certificates of temporary lease on the use of 442 acres out of 638 acres of land confiscated by the Ministry of Industry.
After the ceremony, the Vice President greeted the farmers cordially, after which he inspected the “One Stop Shop” in Mawlamyine, which was launched in 2015. This shop is being served by service personnel from 10 departments.