Minbu solar power plant, one of the accomplishments of Magway Region in the fourth year, is now supplying power to about 210,000 household through the national grid.
National grid
As regards the accomplishment, Chief Minister of Magway Region Dr Aung Moe Nyo said, “This is the first solar power plant that distributes electricity through the national grid in the region. Its present capacity is 40-megawatts. The four-stage power plant projects will have 170 megawatts in total. The first three stages will generate 120 megawatts, and the fourth stage 50 megawatts. When completed, the entire project will generate 350 million kilowatt hours of renewal energy. The region government is also working hard to produce renewable energy through wind turbines at Minhla, Mindon and Chauk townships.”
“The project will come true after the negotiations at the Union level. The production of renewable energy in Minhla, Mindon and Chauk townships will contribute to the national development,” the Chief Minister said.
Electricity supply
During the four years, the region government electrified 1,172 villages. At this year end 50% of households had electricity, up from only 17 per cent in fiscal year 2016-2017.
Rural electrification
Magway Region is now supplying power to 63,34% of villages – 24.3% through the grid and 38.97 through other means.
The 66/6.6KV (5)MV transformer in Aunglan is replaced with a 66/611KV (10)MV, and the 33/6.6KV (1.25)MV transformer in Minhla is replaced with a 33/11KV (3.3)MV facility.
Road transport
Magway Region government is also striving for the improvement of transport, apart from developing the power supply sector.
“We will upgrade 63% of rural roads at the end of fiscal year 2020-2021. We have already built 657 miles of 10-foot wide tarred roads, 7.5 miles of 24-foot tarred roads. We have completed nine miles of concrete roads, 224 miles of tarred roads, 657 miles of gravel roads, 2,239 miles of granite roads and 2,768 miles of earth roads at the end of fiscal year 2019-2020”, said the Chief Minister.
The road department is implementing the 2,187-mile road project with the involvement of six private companies that are undertaking 454 miles under the BOT system. The three special road construction groups implemented 3,223 works including new road projects, road extension programmes, paving works, gravelling works, bridge projects, culverts and concrete pipes and retaining walls at a cost of over 268,686 million. The Rural Development Department also built nine miles of concrete roads, 224 miles of tarred roads, 657 miles of gravel roads, 2,239 miles of granite roads and 2,768 miles of earth roads at the end of fiscal year 2019-2020. The department is providing technical assistance for the approved rural development projects which cover 326 villages. The budget allotment for each village is Ks 10 million. Now the people of the region are enjoying the fruits of road transport development.
Irrigation facilities
Magway Region is building multipurpose dams to harness the waters of Ayeyawady and Myittha rivers, and Mone, Mann, Salin, Yaw and Pin creeks of the area, especially for irrigation. Irrigation and Water Utlization Management Department has completed 75% of the work in renovating the spillway of the Mone creek dam, building a reserve spillway and repairing the U/S Apron Portion and the Crest Portion at a budget allotment of Ks 500 million for fiscal year 2019-2020. The department has also completed 25% of the work in repairing the Kyion-kyiwa dam and the No 2 spillway of the Mann creek dam. Magway Region implemented 184 lake, dam and water supply systems repair projects under a mini budget of Ks 4,217.489 million. It also built or repaired 225 dams, reservoirs and water supply systems in fiscal year 2019-2020 with the funds of over Ks 81.99 million. Of the 17 works the region government is implementing with a budget of over Ks 4,121 million, two have been completed, and the five tasks are being implemented with a budget of over Ks 218 million. The region office of the Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department will repair the Natmauk dam irrigation system with the cooperation of AFD from France, and implement the Kyauk Sauk Dam Rehabilitation of Concrete Lining and Direct Outlet project and Nagabwet irrigation project in cooperation with the Western States Agribusiness Project (WSAP).
Agriculture
Magway Region is applying modern methods and techniques for increasing the crop production in the interest of the farmers. It set up a soil testing laboratory in 2018 in Magway, and one more lab in Pakokku on 17 January this year for developing the agriculture sector. The region put 16145.12 acres under various crops in accord with the good agriculture practice (GAP) in fiscal year 2018-2019, and sold 88 tones of monsoon sesame. In fiscal year 219-2020, it cultivated over 70,520 acres of crops under GAP. Magway Region provided over Ks 2,786 million for the agriculture sector in fiscal year 2018-2019.
It also provided 300 motorcycles, 30 sets of moisture measuring equipment for 25 townships and the region branch office, and over 40,000 bags of compound fertilizers for 24 townships under the Immediate Response Mechanism (IRM) of the World Bank. The region government provided over 22 baskets of sesame seeds for the fire victims of Kyobinin village in Magway Township, and 28 baskets of sesame seeds for the volunteer farmers in Magway and Minbu townships.
Education
Apart from its endeavours for socio-economic development, the region government is also striving for the improvement of the education level. It upgraded 33 affiliated high schools into high schools, 333 middle schools into affiliated high schools, 106 post-primary schools into affiliated middle schools, 133 primary schools into post-primary schools, 45 affiliated primary schools into primary schools and 136 self-reliant schools into affiliated primary schools, totalling 939 schools.
As for ensuring the peaceful pursuit of education for local boys and girls, the region government built 268 new school offices and buildings, made 4,029 desks of various sizes, and constructed 768 schools and officers. It will lay earth roads for 121 schools and build toilets and concrete roads for 3009 schools.
Ethnic culture and literature
As for the progress of the literature and culture of Chin nationals living in Magway Region, the region government conducted eight summer literature and culture courses in fiscal year 2017-2018, with 550 teachers, and 2,617 students completed the courses. It opened ten such courses with the involvement of 874 teachers in fiscal year 2018-2019, and 1,453 completed them. The local government held talks on ethnic rights and collected data in Magway, Ngaphge, Taungdwingyi and Hsaw in fiscal year 2018-2019.
Public relations
The region office of the Information and Public Relations Department is holding reading sessions, talks, courses, fairs and competitions at the community centres. It held the children’s literature festivals in Thayet District in 2019 and Gangaw District in 2020, apart from organizing public talks for promoting democracy practices. The local government also held the youth all-round development festival (Magway) fof three days from 14 to 16 December 2019 for the physical and intellectual development of youth. President U Win Myint graced the festival. The region government provided books, periodicals and furniture for 14 rural libraries in 2019.
e-Government
Magway Region government has been opening courses for the progress in implementing the e-Government since 2018. The course included basic e-Government course, Web-content course, Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) course for Government Personal Management System (GPMS), Software and website courses.
Mann Shwesettawya
The region government renovated the Koekhangyi Hall of the Mann Shwesettawya in Minbu Township this year. “We renovated the hall at a cost of over Ks 500 million. The roof and floors are repaired in the Myanmar architectural designs. We hoisted a new sacred umbrella atop the pagoda built on the original footprint of Buddha,” said the Chief Minister.
Health
Magway Region has an area of 17,305.62 square-miles and a population of 4,176,441. It has five districts, 30 townships, 1,535 village-tracts and 4,803 villages. The mission of the government is to provide health cover for the entire population. The region office of the Public Health Department built a building for the generator of the eye ward under the budget allotment of Ks 1.8 million, an eight-unit four-storey building at Magway teaching hospital under the budget allotment of Ks 300 million in fiscal year 2016-2017. It is building a two-storey staff quarters at a cost of over Ks 157 million.
Community based tourism
Magway Region government could generate job opportunities for locals and increase their income by setting up community based tourism (CBT) at Inyaung village, Myaing Township, and Magyeegan village in Chauk Township. It is now implementing CBT at Hteinbingon village, Htilin Township and Kyungalay village in Pakoppu Township.
Disaster response
Fire Services Department of Magway Region built the new Magway District fire station at a cost of over Ks 338 million, a new township fire station in Yesagyo at a cost of over Ks 156 million, a new district fire station in Thayet at a cost of over Ks 338 million, a new area fire station in Htilin Township at a cost of over Ks 117 million. The region government provided six fire engines, 18 command vehicles, six water tankers,two support vehicles, four fire fighting vehicles, three ambulances and two search and rescue vehicles during the four years.
International cooperation
As for achieving regional development the local government conducted the Key Issues in Economic Reporting Training in cooperation with USAID, vocational education training in cooperation with Actionaid Myanmar, implemented S4RLD and S4E Project projects in cooperation with HELVETAS MYANMAR, and conducted agriculture courses in cooperation with Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO) during the four years in office.
Parliament
The Region Hulttaw was completed in July 2019. The Second Magway Region Hluttaw enacted 21 laws and 10 bylaws till now. The parliament is the most basic need for the legislative pillar in the national democratization process.
Benefits
Magway Region carried out many development undertakings in the interest of the public including road transport, health, education, agriculture, farming, electricity projects and various rural projects. It will continue its endeavours for the people to fully enjoy the benefits of the projects.
(Translated by TMT)
