15 July
Vice President U Henry Van Thio visited the Biluchaung Hydropower Plant 2 in Kayah State yesterday, and inspected the operations of generators and turbines, the power transmission infrastructure, the control room, Switch Yard, and the waterfall at the plant.
First, the Vice President viewed documentary photos on the overhaul of generators in the 2014-2015 fiscal year. Then, he and his entourage viewed a documentary video on the construction of Biluchaung hydropower plants 1, 2, and 3, renovations and information about them.
Later, the Vice President viewed the spill control tank, pipelines, and electricity transmission lines.
The Biluchaung Hydropower Plant 2 was established in 1954. Equipped with three generators, the station started operations in 1960, producing 84 megawatts of power. In 1970, the station was upgraded with three 28MW generators, and the work was completed and power supply was started in 1974.
Women’s domestic vocational training school (Loikaw)
After the hydropower plant, the Vice President and officials headed to the Women’s Vocational Training School of the Education and Training Department under the Ministry of Border Affairs in Loikaw.
After hearing a report presented by the principal of the school, the Vice President said the state has opened 45 vocational training schools with five objectives nationwide to create jobs for ethnic people in border areas.
He urged the trainees to have determination, sympathy, unity, patience, and understanding while acquiring vocational skills at the school, and asked them to commit to establishing their own ventures in the future.
Vice President U Henry Van Thio also asked the trainers to consider the trainees as relatives when teaching them.
Later, the Vice President took a look at the products, including clothes and foodstuff, produced by the trainees.
The Women’s Vocational School (Loikaw) was inaugurated in 1994, and offers courses on sewing, Kayah traditional weaving, and running machines to turn sheep wool into clothes.
More than 100 trainees have been enrolled at the school in the 2018-2019 fiscal year.
After the vocational school, the Vice President visited the Loikaw People’s Hospital and inspected patient wards, the X-ray room, and laboratory, and donated cash to the hospital.
Meeting with local authorities, MPs
Afterwards, Vice President U Henry Van Thio held a meeting with the Kayah State cabinet, MPs, and officials working at the state, district, and township levels.
Speaking at the meeting, the Vice President explained the purpose of his visit to Kayah State saying, he came to the state to fulfil the requirements for tourism and development of the state.
He quoted weather experts and stressed the need to use water effectively as the inflow of water into dams is expected to be lower because Myanmar is expected to see a short monsoon period this year.
He asked the authorities to raise awareness about water management among departmental officials and the people.
Boat Services from Moebyae Dam to Inle Lake in Shan State
The Vice President expressed his delight upon seeing the boat services operating from the sluice gates of the Moebyae Dam in Loikaw to Inle Lake in Shan State, referring to them as “a new trip for development of tourism”.
The country has seen a high volume of rain in a short period due to the changing rainfall pattern, he said.
He urged the authorities to consider all possible ways to strengthen dams and sluice gates as flash floods are expected this season.
Prospects for development of tourism
The Vice President said he has noticed that community-based tourism at the Panpat Village-tract has increased manifold compared to his first trip. Kayah State has good prospects for development of tourism, he added.
Residents are enjoying the fruits of development such as upgraded roads, and access to electricity and drinking water, due to the joint efforts of the State and civil service organizations, said the Vice President.
He pledged to open the Maesae Border Trade Camp as part of efforts for promoting tourism with Thailand.
At the meeting, Chief Minister of Kayah State U L Phaung Sho reported on the development tasks and attendees reported on farmland confiscation issues.
Kayah State Government answered the questions and the Vice President attended to the needs. The Vice President left Loikaw in a motorcades and arrived back in Nay Pyi Taw in evening.— MNA (Translated by Kyaw Zin Lin)
