The Second Pyithu Hluttaw’s 13th regular session held its seventh-day meeting at the Pyithu Hluttaw meeting hall yesterday. At the meeting Hluttaw’s approval of the Hluttaw Affairs Capacity Building Advisory Group was obtained, a question and answer session held, a motion tabled and a bill approved.
Hluttaw Affairs Capacity Building Advisory Group
In the first agenda of the meeting Hluttaw approves the number of group members, names of group leader and group members of the reformed Hluttaw Affairs Capacity Building Advisory Group.
Question and answer session
In the question and answer session that follows Deputy Minister for Defence Rear-Admiral Myint Nwe, Deputy Minister for Planning and Finance U Sett Aung and Deputy Minister for Construction U Kyaw Lin responded to questions raised by the Hluttaw representatives.
U Oo Tun Win of Kyauktaw constituency asked if there was a plan to return to the farmers an unused farmland near a military area. Deputy Minister for Defence Rear-Admiral Myint Nwe replied that the subject 47.95 acres of land were adjacent to the military area but were not used by the military. The farmers were informed of this during a field visit in 2019 and the farmers were already working on the lands explained the Deputy Minister.
Daw Ni Ni May Myint of Taungup constituency raised a question on whether a company that had signed an agreement to construct the Pyay (Nawaday)-Taungup road under BOT was following the agreement and how maintenance was conducted on it. Deputy Minister for Construction U Kyaw Lin explained that during the State Peace and Development Council period a Rakhine ethnic person of owned Nay La Thitsar Construction Group Company Limited was directly assigned to construct the subject 102 miles 2 furlong long road starting from February 2010 under a BOT system and in an MIC agreement was signed on September 2011.
On June 2013 the company returned 33 miles section from mile post 41/0 to 74/0 and Ministry of Construction Department of Highways handled that section while the company continued operating the remaining 69 miles 2 furlong section under the BOT system. The maintenance of the entire road was conducted by Ministry of Construction. The department is coordinating with Ministry of Planning and Finance to sign a termination agreement with the BOT Company to officially transfer back the road to the government and to upgrade it.
On the question raised by U Pa Htan of Matupi constituency on a plan to upgrade and widen Matupi-Mindat road Deputy Minister for Construction U Kyaw Lin answered that funding request for the road from both Union fund and State fund was made every year and in 2018 September 64 miles 6 furlong section of the road was widened. Funding request was made every year for the road and depending upon funding allocation the upgrade of the remaining portion of the road will be conducted said the Deputy Minister.
U Moe Shwe of Putao constituency on the other asked whether there was a plan to construct new bridges to replace the two dangerous bridges on the Myitkyina-Sumprabum-Putao Union Road during fiscal year 2019-2020. Deputy Minister for Construction U Kyaw Lin replied that funding request for one bridge will be made in fiscal year 2019-2020 and for another bridge in fiscal year 2020-2021. Depending upon funding allocation a 220 ft long two lane reinforced concrete bridge and a 264 ft long two lane reinforced concrete bridge will be built said the Deputy Minister.
Similarly questions raised by U Toe Win of Tamwe constituency on a plan for Japan and Korea industrial works to invest in Myanmar, U Sai Kyaw Moe of Mongpan constituency on a plan to construct two staff houses for public servants serving in Mongpan town, U Laganze Jone of Waingmaw constituency on a plan to allow round the clock usage of Bala Min Htin Bridge and the closing down of unnecessary inspection gates were also answered by Deputy Minister for Construction U Kyaw Lin.
Motion on construction tenders and works to be completed in first quarter of fiscal year
After the question and answer session Dr U Soe Moe Thu of Myaungmya constituency tabled a motion urging the union government to effectively implement fiscal year change by calling for construction tenders and works to be completed in the first quarter of the fiscal year starting from the forthcoming fiscal year. He also explained in detail on the reason for tabling the motion. The motion was supported by U Phyo Zeya Thaw of Zabuthiri constituency.
As the Hluttaw agreed to discuss the motion an announcement was made for Hluttaw representative who want to discuss the motion to register their names.
Hluttaw approve 2019 New Tree Species Protection Bill
As a final agenda of the day Hluttaw approves the entire 2019 New Tree Species Protection Bill as amended and approved by Amyotha Hluttaw and announcement was made of the bill to be handled according to Pyithu Hluttaw rule.
The eighth-day meeting of The Second Pyithu Hluttaw’s 13th regular session is scheduled to be held on 6 August it is learnt. — MNA
(Translated by Zaw Min)
