Vice President U Henry Van Thio, Chairman of the Central Committee for Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands addressed the 7th coordination meeting 1/2019 of the Central Committee for Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands held at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation meeting hall in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon.
The Vice President said the meeting was the central committee’s seventh coordination meeting. Arrangements were made so that the central committee’s 52 agenda policies were known widely and followed down to the grass roots level while much emphasis was placed towards requirements and suggestions made by the people and farmers whose lands were confiscated during the visits of the leaders and the central committee.

The country was an agriculture based country and farmers played a vital role in the agriculture sector of the country. The meeting was called to inform about notification 21/2019 dated 5 February 2019 from the Office of the President on reorganizing the central committee so that resolving of land matters that reflect on the image of the country could be conducted with increasing momentum. Monthly reports on the status of returning confiscated farmlands and other lands were submitted to the country’s leaders. The President had commented on a report of works conducted until end December 2018 and the Central Committee needed to take the comment as a guideline and conduct works according to 52 agenda policies.
All levels of the committees for scrutinizing confiscated farmlands and other lands were to effectively handle complaints on land matters according to the policies and work processes. Some states and regions did not follow the central committee’s policy and work processes and inadequate records were submitted resulting in the central committee returning the file back for re-assessing. At the moment ministerial departments were releasing lands that were not required or used and the aim was to return it back to the former owners or to reassign it to other ministerial departments that needed it. Therefore, ministerial departments receiving such lands were to conduct the land transfer matter until completion.
Excess and unused lands returned as state-own lands are to be used for the benefit of the people and if not used, to be kept on record and maintained. Some lands released by the ministerial departments were not received by the former owner due to some delays or it was not clear who the former owner was. In such cases, committee chairmen were to conduct field visits with officials so that there was no discrepancy between the assessment at the grass roots level and the situation on the ground.
7,119 complaints had been received by the Central Committee and only 3,168 were resolved. More emphasis must be placed toward resolving the remaining 3,951 complaints.
Discussions were to be made on the latest situation of resolving complaints directly made to Nay Pyi Taw, State and Region Committee for Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands and the latest situation of works conducted by Nay Pyi Taw, State and Region on findings and reports of complaints received by Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Enquiry Commission on Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands formed during the last Pyidaungsu Hluttaw term.
Information to the public need to be released on separate meetings that were held between representatives of State and Region and ministerial departments to resolve land matters submitted by State and Region governments. This was the seventh central level meeting to coordinate on the strengths and weaknesses of the central committee and committees at all levels and States and Regions were to conduct such monthly meetings without fail, said the Vice President.
Meetings of all levels of committees were to follow the instruction and guidance of the country’s policy given by the country’s leaders during their visits and the decision, policies and guidelines of the central committee. Only then would the reliance and trust of people and farmers whose land were confiscated be obtained.
Committees were to open separate committee offices down to the grass roots level, assign sufficient personnel and committee members and raise their work capacities through courses and workshops. Central Committee members were to discuss and suggest openly on the difficulties faced at the ground level and the matter of support provided by the Central Committee, said the Vice President.
Next Central Committee Secretary Deputy Minister for Office of the Union Government U Tin Myint explained about reorganizing the Central Committee, conducted, ongoing and future work plans of the Central Committee.
Afterwards Central Committee Joint Secretary Settlement and Land Record Department, Director General U Thet Naing Oo explained about works conducted by the Central Committee and re-assessment works conducted on confiscated farmland and other lands.
Nay Pyi Taw Council, State and Region Committee for Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands chairmen Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman, State and Region Chief Ministers then explained about scrutinizing confiscated farmlands and other lands.
Union Minister U Min Thu, Dr. Aung Thu and U Ohn Win and Union Attorney General U Tun Tun Oo also joined in the discussion.
The Chairman of the Central Committee for Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands then gave comments and advice to ensure coordination based on the explanations and discussions.
The following officials attended the meeting: Union Ministers Lt-Gen Sein Win, U Min Thu, Dr. Aung Thu, U Ohn Win, U Khin Maung Cho and U Han Zaw, Union Attorney General U Tun Tun Oo, Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman, states/regions Chief Ministers, central committee secretary, joint secretary, State/Region Committee for Scrutinizing Confiscated Farmlands and Other Lands secretaries and officials.—MNA
(Translated by Zaw Min)