By Shin Min
Photo: Kay Kay
Community-based tourism (CBT) in four Pa-O villages – Loikhaw, Inni, Hti and Katku – on the mountains in southern Shan State are developing with added momentum. The visitors can learn the cooking methods, and enjoy the traditional cuisines, dances, songs and cultures of the area.
CBT of the four Pa-O villages – Loikhaw, Inni, Hti and Katku – won the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF-2017) award in 2017 and Winner Award at the ITB (Berlin) held in Berlin, Germany in 2017. The CBT of the four Pa-O villages is the achievement of Shan State government during its four years in office.
Shan State government is negotiating with the respective bodies for establishing commercial air transport flights from Heho to Lanchan in Yunnan Province, the People’s Republic of China and to Chiang Rai in Thailand. Executive committee memebrs of Myanmar hoteliers association (southern Shan State) took part in the Fifth Yunnan China-Myanmar Cooperation Forum Tourism Officials and Tourism Enterprise Executives Exchange Program. Cooperation was made with GIZ to improve the Information Counter in Nyaungshwe, Shan State (South). During the four years, Shan State government approved licenses for 380 hotels and inns, 100 tour services and 1303 tour guides, and conducted 169 tourism trainings, workshops and forums.
“We have new ecotourism projects at Danu Self-Administered Zone, Kalaw Township, Ywangan Township in southern Shan State, new tour programmes in eastern Shan State, and new nature tourism destinations in Nawnghkio, Lashio, Hsenwi, Hopang and Tangyan townships and Momeik District in northern Shan State,” explained Chief Minister Dr Lin Htut of Shan State.
The Shan State Government selected Taunggyi, Kalaw, Loilem, Hsipaw, Pindaya, Pinlaung, Lashio, Kengtung, Tachilek, Panglong, Muse and Nyaungshwe for its clean and green rural project. Kalaw has been turned into a garbage-and-drug-free township under the One State One Township Project.
As regards, the development of the transport sector during the four years, Shan State built 564 tarred roads, gravel roads and earth roads at a cost of over K 119 billion, 164 concrete, wooden and other bridges under the budget allotment of over K 1.8 billion and the over 17-mile Taunggyi-Hopon detour at a cost of over K 338 million, and implemented 30 Union highway projects and 163 local road projects. It has set aside over K 26 billion to build a 351-foot bridge on Thanlwin River at Tarkaw. It is also planning to build a new bridge over Thanlwin River at Kunlong in northern Shan State. The 286-metre long and 12-metre wide reinforced concrete facility will be on the Hsenwi-Kunlong-Chinshwehaw road. The project will be implemented with grant aid from the PRC. Its bearing capacity will be 60 tonnes.
During the four years in office, Shan State government erected 31 miles of 66KV cable lines, 81.9 miles of 33KV cable lines, 3.5 miles of 11KV cable lines, three 66/11KV subpower stations, nine 66/11KV transformers, seven 11/0KV transformers, and 4.46 miles of 400-volt power lines from the Union funds, and over 11 miles of 33KV power lines, 1.85 miles of 22.4KV power lines, over 687 miles of 11 KV power lines, one 33/11KV sub-power station, one 22.4KV transformer, 782 11.4KV transformers and over 832 miles of 400-volt power lines from the Shan State funds during the four years.
Muse 105th Mile Trade Zone exported USD 13.21 billion worth of goods, and imported USD 5.95 billion worth of goods,, Tachilek trade zone exported 56.279 million worth of goods and imported USD 257.456 million worth of goods, and Chinshwehaw trade zone exported USD 1.6 billion worth of goods, and imported USD 1.8 billion worth of goods during the four years.
Shan State Development Affairs Department built 2,057 roads, 1,096 bridges and 484 water supply projects for 33 townships and sub-townships at an allotted budget of over K 64 billion during the four years. Water supply facilities were extended in Taunggyi, Kalaw, Phekon, Pinlaung, Nongtaya, Yaksawk, Ywangan and Pindaya under phase one of the regional development projects with JICA(ODA) loan. Water supply system of Lashio will be extended under the JICA(ODA) loan. The local government built 66 shallow wells, 121 deep wells, 21 hand-drilled wells, 40 water storage ponds, 939 spring water supply facilities, and 445 other water supply systems under the allotted budget of K 2,550 billion for rural development; implemented rural development tasks at 1,443 villages, and upgraded Heho in Kalaw Tosnship and Nantpan in Nyaungshwe Township.
During the four years, the local government produced quality rice, corn, sunflower and pigeon pea seeds for 1,1149 acres of crops, reclaimed 2,790 acres of farms for landless people, 1,050 acres for local farmers and issued GAP for 2,810 farmers, 26 kinds of fruits and vegetable and 9,581 acres.
“Per acre rice loan has increased from K 100,000 in the past to K 150,000 at present. During the four years Myanmar Agriculture Development Bank distributed over K 751 billion as loans for 133,000 farmers of the state. The local government bought 149 units of farm machinery at a price of K 6.13 billion provided under JICA Two Step Loan,” said the Chief Minister.
Shan State government issued landownership certificates for 698,567 farmers in 2012 and held the Shan State Agricultural Symposium at Inkhaung Village, Kalaw Township, Taunggyi District for three days between 22 and 24 December 2019 on a grand scale to protect the rights of farmers and serve their interest. It is returning the seized land back to farmers within the framework of principles, procedures, rules and laws and formed the respective bodies for the fairness and swiftness of the work, and to ensure that the land is handed back to the real owner.
A total of 30,800 acres of land were relinquished in Shan State, and of them, the local government has returned 29,600 acres back to the owners. It is also accelerating the work to give the remaining 12,000 acres back to the original owners. It is also endeavoring to restore peace which is related to regional development. Thanks to the efforts, RCSS/SSA, PNLO and LDU have become the signatories of the NCA. The JMC-S meeting was held in Kholam town, Loilem District in Shan State for 17 times between 27 January 2018 and 14 October 2018.
“Race/region-wise national level meetings of the NCA signatories have been held. The national level meeting of Pa-O people was held in Hopong from 16 to 20 February 2017 and in Taunggyi from 23 to 25 April 2017. These meetings are much supportive for the establishment of democracy federal Union,” said the Chief Minister.
The local government is striving for socio-economic development as development momentum is required in restoring peace.
“We donated K 10 million for the development of Gadugyi region, which is the headquarters of PNLO, an NCA signatory, on 6 March 2020. Kyats 3.3 billion was set aside for Nanpan creek (Mongshu) bridge project on Minenaung-Mongshu road. The implementation of the project began on 1 November 2018. We have completed 82 per cent of the work. We started building the Pon creek bridge on Kyundaung-Kyauktalongyi-Nongyasai-Hsaikkhaung-Ponchaung-Maukmai road on 1 October 2018 under an allotted budget of over K 9700 million,” he said.
Shan State government is planning to honour 138 Buddhist monks, laypersons and organizations for the efforts for regional development. It provided Ks 15,000 each to nonagenarians in 2016-2017, K 10,000 each for 90 and above senior citizens in 2017-2018, and K 10,000 each for 85 and above senior citizens in 2018-2019. The government also provided K 331.5 million for social welfare organizations and pre-primary schools during the four years. It built 69 new health facilities, appointed 4,883 health staff including doctors and provided free medical treatment for over 60,000 people during the time. Shan State government upgraded the Sao San Tun Hospital into a 500-bed facility, that is providing healthcare services with Cobalt 60 Machine, MRI 1.5 Tesla (GE- Signa Explorel) and H.D Machine. It formed the Shan State level Covid-19 surveillance and treatment supervisory committee, and is taking precautionary measures and conducting treatment at the border entry points where possibility of infection is high. It is planning to build a specialist hospital to provide specific medical treatment for various infectious diseases apart from Covid-19. During the four years, the local government extended the number of schools to 6391. It is implementing low-price housings for low-income families including government employees. It provided 1,030 apartments of 63 residential buildings for 5150 families of retired persons, government employees who were about to retire from the job and people who were facing shelter problems during the four years in office.
Thanks to the efforts of the local government for all-round development of Shan State, it is now witnessing progress in multiple sectors including road, bridge, electricity, infrastructure, education, health, tourism sectors. All in all, the entire Shan State is now enjoying progress and prosperity.
(Translated by TMT)
