On completion of Pyapon bridge, Pyapon-Dedaye-Kungyangon-Kawhmu-Dalla
motor road will emerge Prime Minister inspects Pyapon Bridge and Pammawady river crossing Bridge (Myinkaseik) construction projects

YANGON, 15 May— Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win accompanied by member of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than, ministers, deputy ministers and officials of the State Peace and Development Council Office, on 13 May morning, arrived at Pyapon in Ayeyawady Division by helicopter. The Prime Minister and party were welcomed there by Chairman of Ayeyawady Division Peace and Development Council Commander of South-West Command Maj-Gen Soe Naing, Chairman of Pyapon District Peace and Development Council Lt-Col Ye Htut and officials.

The Prime Minister and party inspected development of Pyapon by car.

Next, the Prime Minister and party proceeded to Ohnbin village in Dedaye Township by Z-craft and inspected the installation of frame to Pyapon bridge.

At the briefing hall on the bank of Ohnbin village, Deputy Minister for Construction Brig-Gen Myint Thein reported to the Prime Minister on the birth of Pyapon bridge construction project, choosing of the most suitable site for building the bridge and construction works starting from April,

In-charge of Pyapon Bridge Construction Project Deputy Chief Engineer U Khin Maung Hse on work process and progress of work and Commander Maj-Gen Soe Naing on development in transportation in Ayeyawady Division as a result of building of Pyapon bridge. Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation Maj-Gen Htay Oo made a supplementary report. In response to the reports, the Prime Minister gave instructions on building the bridge meeting the set standard.

Next, the Prime Mini-ster and party inspected building of approach road on the bank of Ohnbin village in Dedaye Township. Pyapon bridge is being built to link Ward-1 of Pyapon and Ohnbin village of Dedaye Township.

In travelling from Yangon to Pyapon, people have to use 86 miles and 1 furlong long Pyapon-Kyaiklatt-Maubin-Yangon road. On completion of Pyapon bridge, Pyapon-Dedaye-Kungyangon-Kawhmu-Dhalla motor road will emerge.

Pyapon-Dedaye-Kungyangon-Kawhmu-Dalla motor road is 58 miles 3 furlongs long and thus it is 27 miles 6 furlongs shorter than Pyapon-Kyaiklatt-Maubin-Yangon road.

Moreover, there will be easy access to Bogale and seaside such as Kamarkalu, Kyonkadon, Hseikma and Kadon-kani.

The upper structure of the bridge is steel frame and the lower reinforced concrete. The total length of the bridge will be 3932 feet and 8 inches long with 28 feet wide motorway.

After inspecting approach road and installation of steel frame to the main bridge on Dedaye bank, the Prime Minister and party proceeded to Kandawgyi water supply project in Pyapon. The project is being implemented by Pyapon Township Development Affairs Committee. Executive Officer of the committee U Thet Paing reported to the Prime Minister on functions of the project. The commander made a supplementary report.

Kandawgyi lake in Pyapon has a capacity to store water in 23 acres at the full brim and it can supply 145 million gallons of water daily to the town.

At 10 am, the Prime Minister and party arrived at Pammawady river crossing bridge (Myinkaseik) construction project implemented by Special Group-5 of Public Works in Myaungmya Township.

At the briefing hall, Deputy Minister Brig-Gen Myint Thein reported to the Prime Mi-nister on facts about Pammawady River Crossing Bridge (Myinkaseik) Construction Project and Senior Engineer Daw Si Than on progress of work.

Next, Commander Maj-Gen Soe Naing reported on development in transportation in Ayeyawady Division due to the building of Pammawady River Crossing Bridge (Myinkaseik).

The Prime Minister and party inspected progress in construction of the bridge. The stake driving ceremony to build Pammawady River Crossing Bridge (Myinkaseik) that will link Myaungmya and Pathein was held on 15 May 2004. The main bridge is a suspension one with bailey steel frame type and the approach bridge is built with reinforced concrete.

The main bridge will be 540 feet long. The approach bridges on both Myaungmya and Pathein sides will be 360 feet long. The bridge will have 16 feet 4 inches wide motorway and it can withstand 60-ton loads.

The current Pathein-Daka-Einme-Myaung-mya motor road linking Pathein and Myaungmya is 65 miles long. On completion of the bridge, Pathein-Kangon-Myinkaseik-Myaungmya motor road will be 32 miles long and thus it will be 33 miles shorter than the old one.

After inspecting Pammawady River Crossing Bridge (Myinkaseik) construction project, the Prime Minister and party arrived at Pathein by helicopter. They were welcomed there by Deputy Commander of South West Command Brig-Gen Tint Swe, senior military officers and officials.

Next, the Prime Mi-nister and party inspected Ngawun river crossing (Pathein) bridge and Pathein-Ngwehsaung road by car.

At 1 pm, the Prime Minister and party attended the ceremony to offer rice to members of the Sangha held at Sasana Beikmandawgyi in Pathein.

The ceremony was opened with three-time recitation of Namo Tassa. The congregation received the Five Precepts from Wayluwun Monastery Sayadaw Agga Maha Pandita Bhaddanta Nagavamsa.

The Prime Minister offered provisions to the Sayadaw.

Member of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Khin Maung Than, the commander, ministers, deputy ministers, senior military officers and officials offered provisions to members of the Sangha.

Division Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee Chairman Kontha Monastery Sayadaw Agga Maha Pandita Bhaddanta Vilasa delivered a sermon. This was followed by sharing of merits gained. The ce-remony came to a close with three time recitation of Buddha Sasanam Ciram Titthatu.

After the ceremony, the Prime Minister and party viewed development of Pathein by car.

Yesterday morning, the Prime Minister and party attended the inauguration of 200-ton Thabaung Pulp Plant of the Ministry of Industry-1 in Thabaung Township.

After the opening ceremony, the Prime Minister and party inspected forest areas in Thabaung Township and adjacent township and scenic beauty of Chaungtha and Ngwehsaung beaches by helicopter and arrived back in Pahein.

Prime Minister Lt-Gen Soe Win and party went to the at souvenir shop of Ayeyawady Division Cooperative Society near Pathein Airport and viewed round the consumer goods, household goods and local food produced by cooperative societies in Ayeyawady Division. Deputy Director U Myint Soe of Ayeyawady Division Cooperative Department and officials conducted the Prime Minister and party round the shop. The Prime Minister gave necessary instructions.

The Prime Minister and party arrived back here at 3.30 pm.

Secretary-General of the Union Solidarity and Development Association Maj-Gen Htay Oo and Central Executive Committee member Brig-Gen Thein Aung who accompanied the Prime Minister during the tour of Ayeyawady Division, on 13 May, met with Division USDA Secretary U Than Tun and executives, secretaries and executives of Pathein, Kangyidaunt, Ngaputaw, Kyonpyaw, Yegyi and Kyaunggon township USDAs, organizers of wards and villages in Pathein.

At the meeting Maj-Gen Htay Oo urged USDA members to make efforts for regional development through the strength of the association enlisting the strength of locals.

He also urged them to actively take part in implementation of the five rural development tasks and guard against destructive elements.