Maungdaw, Arakan State: The Maungdaw Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) has provided money to Natala villagers of Maungdaw Township through Village Peace and Development Council (VPDC) Chairmen on July 28, for setting up rubber plantations, said a local elder on condition of anonymity. 

The authorities of Maungdaw TPDC office distributed Kyat 60,000 per family to Natala villages to grow rubber saplings in places, which were seized from the Rohingya community earlier.

The rubber saplings have been provided to Natala villagers by Burma 's border security force (Nasaka) headquarters of Gyikan Pyin (Kawarbil), Maungdaw Township without taking any money. But, the authorities took money while they supplied rubber saplings to the Rohingya community earlier, said a school teacher from Maungdaw.

The Natala villagers of Maungdaw north were ordered by the District Peace and Development Council (DPDC) members to grow at least 300 rubber saplings on an acre, according to a source in the DPDC office. 

The money, which was provided to Natala (model) villagers for rubber plantation by the authorities was not the money from the government.  The money belonged to the Rohingya community, which was collected from Rohingya people while providing rubber saplings for rubber plantations before, said a retired schoolteacher requesting not to be named.  

The Natala villagers are model villagers who were invited to Arakan State for settlement from Burma proper.