Prime Minister makes inspection tour of Rakhine State

Yangon, 2 March — Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt and party, accompanied by Rakhine State Peace and Development Council Chairman Western Command Commander Maj-Gen Maung Oo, arrived at Kyaukpyu via Taungup, Rakhine State, on 29 February afternoon.

They were welcomed there by local authorities, departmental personnel and members of social organizations. They proceeded to Kyaukpyu Education College and inspected the computer training centre and presentation room. Principal Daw Khin Khin Wai reported on courses being conducted in the college. Deputy Minister for Education Col Aung Myo Min gave a supplementary report.

The Prime Minister fulfilled the requirements for construction of a new building, saying that measures are being taken for opening new educational institutions and upgrading old ones. In the process, the Prime Minister gave instructions on adopting the plans for appointing sufficient number and high quality of the teachers.

On arrival at Kyaukpyu District People’s Hospital (100-bed), Chairman of the National Health Committee Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt looked into wards, operation theatre and medical store, and gave instructions to the officials on meeting the standard of health care services of a district level hospital (100-bed).

At the Rammawady Hall in Kyaukpyu, the Prime Minister held a meeting with local administrative bodies, service personnel and social organizations. On the occasion, Kyaukpyu District Peace and Development Council Chairman Lt-Col Myo Tint reported on location, area and population of Kyaukpyu District, average annual rainfall, land utilization, cultivation of monsoon paddy, preparations for extended paddy cultivation, condition of local rice sufficiency, growing of various kinds of fruits, pepper, cold season crops, beans and pulses, edible oil crops and kitchen crops, education and health.

The Prime Minister attended to the needs for construction of Ngalawaih bridge, facilitation of an auto-exchange in Kyauk-pyu, and providing of fire engines for Yanbye and Manaung and said that the purpose of the tour is to inspect development projects and to attend to the needs.

According to the officials of Kyaukpyu District, regional development and businesses have not met the target yet, he said. The district is blessed with marine resources. Previously, the marine resources could be exploited on a commercial scale in the region, but now the process has come to a halt. Besides, despite a lot of cultivable land, the region has not enjoyed local rice sufficiency yet owing to lack of land reclamation, he added.

Therefore, officials and departments concerned are to take a leading role in providing agricultural methods and assistance for effective utilization of the resources, he pointed out.

Township level officials are to take such measures as extension of land reclamation, introducing high-yield paddy strains, extended cultivation of cash crops such as green gram, groundnut and mustard, establishing model farms and disseminating agricultural methods for boosting agricultural production, he noted.

Model fish and prawn breeding is to be conducted in the region for promotion of livestock breeding sector. Organizing measures are to be taken in the interest of local people who are engaged in agriculture and livestock breeding, and assistance is to be provided for the farmers, he remarked.

A new natural gas deposit has been found in the sea adjacent to Kyaukpyu region recently, and so the region will be prosperous with oil production process soon. Besides, being blessed with good conditions to establish a deep sea port, Kyaukpyu region will be a prosperous one. Thus, officials are to make preparatory measures in creating good conditions for regional economic progress, he said.

At a time when the Government has been making efforts for raising the economic and living standard of the people, departmental personnel and the people, on their part, are also to make endeavours with goodwill for regional development and elevating the socio-economy life of the people, he urged.

Next, Chairman of Myanmar Education Committee Prime Minister General Khin Nyunt presented a TV set and a video cassette player each to Kyaukpyu Basic Education High School Nos 1 and 2 through respective principals.

The Prime Minister and entourage also viewed computer aided instruction, computer application and e-Mail, video system, electronic media (language lab), reading corner (printed media) room of Kyaukpyu BEHS No 1.

They arrived back at An in the evening.

Yesterday morning, the Prime Minister looked into development projects in An. The Chairman of the MEC and party arrived at An BEHS No 2 at 8.30 am. They inspected the multimedia teaching classrooms and left instructions on construction of new lecture rooms and academic matters to the teachers.

The Prime Minister proceeded to An Civil Engineering Project site. Officials reported on points about the project, of allocation of land plots, construction of roads and bridges, work being done, future tasks, distribution of water from Hinywet Dam and construction of town hall in An. The Prime Minister fulfilled the needs and gave necessary instructions.

The Chairman of the NHC headed for the site of An Township Hospital (100-bed) Project. Officials reported on facts about the project, progress in construction of the main building, operation theatre, obstetric and gynaecological ward, paediatric ward, and outpatient ward, construction of a surgical ward, and arrangements being made for giving medical treatments. The Prime Minister left necessary instructions.

The Prime Minister and party viewed the buildings round the project site.

Afterwards, they visited Swedawtaik Dhammayon in An and presented offertories to Chairman of An Township Sangha Nayaka Committee MyoU Monastery Sayadaw Bhaddanta Panña Dhika and members of the Sangha.

They went to the immigration control centre No 25 in An. Officials reported on border trade businesses and immigration work. The Prime Minister gave instructions and met with local authorities, departmental officials, social organizations and townselders. On the occasion, the Township Peace and Development Council Chairman reported on facts about the region, cultivation of monsoon paddy, edible oil crops and beans and pulses, education and health sectors, forest conservation and nursing trees plantations.

The Prime Minister attended to the needs for construction of new buildings for An BEHS Nos 1 and 2, and dealt with highland reclamation, boosting per acre yield of the crops, planting such cash crops as green gram and pepper, conservation of forests, and establishing tree plantations.

Next, the Prime Minister presented a TV set, a video cassette player and a computer set each to An BEHS Nos 1 and 2, saying that during the inspection tour of Rakhine State, he fulfilled the requirements for development of Taungup and Kyaukpyu townships the previous day and An Township earlier in the morning.

Agriculture thrives in An Township and officials are to encourage the people to extend growing of seasonal and perennial crops. He stressed the importance of transforming hill-side cultivation to highland cultivation in An Township. He said that the officials concerned are to organize local farmers so as to replace the strains of crops with high-yield ones. He called for measures to be taken for local food sufficiency and extension of more tree plantations in An Township.

In conclusion, the Prime Minister urged the departmental officials to strive with goodwill to ensure rapid development of the region, to win the trust of local people and to raise socio-economic life of local people. The Prime Minister and party arrived back here in the afternoon via An.