Development activities inspected in Pyapon, Maubin Districts

YANGON, 4 Sept - Member of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than of the Ministry of Defence, and Ayeyawady Division Peace and Development Council Chairman South-West Command Commander Maj-Gen Soe Naing, accompanied by Col Khin Maung Latt of South-West Command, met officers, other ranks and their families at the local battalion in Pyapon yesterday morning.

After the commander had extended greetings, Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than gave instructions on undertakings of agricultural and livestock breeding work on a manageable scale to ensure the welfare of the families living in the battalion. Next, Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than and the commander cordially greeted the officers, other ranks and their families.

Accompanied by division/district level officials, they went to the Pyapon bridge construction site and inspected the places chosen for the erecting of mid-stream piles.

At the briefing hall, engineers presented progress reports on the project. The commander also made additional reports. After hearing the reports, Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than gave instructions.

The Pyapon bridge spanning Pyapon river will link Ohnpin village of Dedaye township to Ward-1 of Pyapon. It can withstand 60 tons of load and is being built by the bridge construction special group-7 of Public Works under the Ministry of Construction. On completion, the bridge will shorten the travel time between Yangon and Pyapon.

Next, Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than went to Thiri Annawa Hall of Pyapon, where he met local authorities, departmental officials and members of social organizations and gave instructions on regional development tasks and the enforcement of law and order.

At the meeting, officials reported on the location and area of Pyapon, and matters related to tasks being carried out for economy, health, education, transportation, and rural development. After hearing the reports, Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than gave instructions. He said that the effort to develop the national economy plays a vital role in building a peaceful, modern, developed nation.

As an agro-based country, it is important to enhance the agricultural sector. In like manner, emphasis should be placed on promoting the livestock breeding sector. As the Ayeyawady Division is at the top of the agricultural and livestock breeding sectors, it is the reliable region for the State. Therefore, it can be said that local civil servants and people are prime movers for the national economic growth. Local people should not be content with what has already been achived region-wise. Later, he called on those present at the meeting to make concerted efforts for further development of the region.

Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than also went to the paddy husk-fired water pumping station for summer paddy on Kyaiklat-Maubin motor road near Thayawae village, Kyaiklat township, and inspected water-pumps.

In the village, Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than visited U Tun Naing's 30-basket per hour rice mill, which is being operated with the use of electricity generated from the paddy husk-fired station.

Next, he arrived at the Maubin-Kyaiklat road construction site. At the briefing hall, engineers presented reports on construction of the road, arrangements to accomplish the task for the laying of tar between the mile posts 6/2 and 9/6, and future tasks.

Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than gave instructions on maintenance work to be carried out in the rainy season and tasks for upgrading of the road in the open season.

Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than and party proceeded to Maubin agriculture and livestock breeding farm undertaken by Yangon City Development Committee on Mezali-Maletto road in Nyaungdonkyun wetland region, Maubin Township. Entrepreneurs of companies and organizations that are engaged in the farm and officials reported on respective functions.

YCDC member Col Tin Soe reported on the location and area of the farm, strength of the staff, annual digging of fish breeding ponds, artificial insemination, and breeding of duck, pig and prawn.

Commander Maj-Gen Soe Naing dealt with systematic measures to be taken for achieving greater success and extended livestock breeding.

Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than said that the government concentrating on agriculture and livestock breeding has been striving for the development of the nation.

He spoke of the need for respective departments and companies to make efforts region-wise. He said that in the nation, Ayeyawady Division is running fish breeding on over 60,000 acres out of over 130,000 acres of fresh water fish breeding ponds of the nation. Out of the over 60,000 acres in Ayeyawady Division, the majority are located in Maubin District. Plans are under way for digging 20,000 acres of fish breeding ponds in 2003-2004, and the project is to be implemented especially in Nyaungdonkyun and Sankingyun blessed with favourable conditions for fish breeding in Maubin District. He gave instructions to local authorities and departments concerned to provide necessary assistance to the entrepreneurs.

Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than and Commander Maj-Gen Soe Naing viewed artificial insemination process and breeding of eels with the use of cages.

They headed for the fish breeding farm No 2 and inspected the wetland areas and breeding of fish and ducks. They also inspected the breeding of fresh water lobsters and left instructions.

With an area of 3,620 acres, the farm is breeding various species of about 2.465 million fish in 104 ponds on 827 areas, some 150,000 prawns in four ponds on eight acres and 189 pigs.

Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than and party arrived back here in the evening.