November 05, 2019
The Second Amyotha Hluttaw held the first day meeting of its 14th regular session yesterday. Deputy Construction Minister U Kyaw Lin replied to starred questions from five MPs during the session.
Firstly, Amyotha Hluttaw Speaker Mahn Win Khaing Than addressed the assembly. He greeted the Hluttaw representatives with well wishes and urged them to continue their duty of implementing the hopes and aspirations of their constituents. U Kyaw Lin then answered to MPs’ questions.
Road construction processes
MP U Hla Oo of Sagaing Region constituency (4) asked in which financial year will the budget to frame the edges of the Phote Gon-Nay Yar Khin-Ywar Thit-Kaing road in Ayardaw Township, Monywa District, be included. The Deputy Minister replied that the 2.2 miles road is a Class B-priority one rank and thus will be included in the 2020-2021 Union fund proposal.
Next, MP U Saw Moe Myint (a) Samuel of Kayin State constituency (1) asked whether there are plans to construct a Thandaunggyi-Papun road to facilitate easier traveling to the south of Kayin State. The Deputy Minister replied that while they have the necessary road designs included in their Arterial Road Network Master Plan, his ministry is unable to conduct the needed survey in the area. He said they will begin work on the roads once they have taken the required survey.
Next, MP Daw May Than Nwe of Ayeyawady Region constituency (11) asked for the names of government departments handling sections of the Bogale-Satsan-Htawpine-Amar road and canals. Deputy Minister U Kyaw Lin replied that the road is under the administration of the Department of Roads but two sections of the road, from mileposts 18/1 to 19/3 and mileposts 19/7 to 26/2, belong to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation.
He said the agriculture ministry raised the borders along the road by a metre to gain the Design Authority Crest Level (A.C.L) but they were damaged by the construction ministry during an excavation project. He said the Road/Airport Design and Printing Sub-department will continue mapping a new route in the open season.
The matter of compensation regarding the land along the route will be discussed between MPs and government department and included in the closest financial year’s budget proposal, said the Deputy Minister.
Housing for retired civil servants
Next, MP Daw Thiri Yadanar of Mon State constituency (12) asked for the status of the survey for constructing residential housings for retired civil servants, implementation progress, and when it can be handed over to civil servants.
The Deputy Minister replied that the survey indicates there will be around 20,000 civil servants retiring every year and two-thirds of them answered they wish to purchase housing. This means 13,000 housing units need to be constructed every year.
The survey also asked civil servants who have a year before retiring where they would like to settle afterwards and the results show 10,819 chose Yangon, 3,663 chose Mandalay, 1,125 chose Nay Pyi Taw as the top three options.
The Deputy Minister said the survey shows there should be an option for financially struggling retired civil servants to rent housing instead. He said K15 billion from the Union budget was used to construct 812 rental units for Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw in 2018-2019 FY and 120 more units will be constructed in the capital this 2019-2020 FY. He said the state and regional governments are also properly addressing the same concerns for their own civil servants. He said 8,416 housing units have been constructed across the nation between 2017 and 2019 for civil servants and citizens with low income.
New road in Mandalay Region
Next, MP U Kyaw Tote of Mandalay Region constituency (7) asked if there were plans to upgrade the dirt road between Nga Ta Yauk Town and Taung Zin-Kan Saunt village to a smooth gravel road. The Deputy Minister replied that 9.2 miles of the 13-mile road between the aforementioned locations in NyaungU Township is not under the authority of the Rural Development Department. He said they are working with the local government on that matter but for now, the 3.6 miles under the ministry’s authority has been submitted in the 2020-2021 budget proposal for upgradation.
Next, the Speaker called for the deliberation of the Amyotha Hluttaw on The Adaptation of Expressions Bill sent back with amendments from the Pyithu Hluttaw and gained the assembly’s approval.
MP U Min Oo of Bago Region constituency (6) then tabled a motion expressing sorrow for the recent passing of Amyotha Hluttaw MP U Pe Tin of Mon State constituency (6) on 30 October, which was then put on record. The entire assembly observed two minutes of silence for U Pe Tin.
The second-day meeting of the current 14th regular session will convene today. –Aung Ye Twin, Michael Htan
(Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
