Farmers whose land was covered and destroyed by mud during the construction of a gas pipeline in Kyaukpyu Township put in a claim for compensation to the township administration office on 17th December.
Narinjara news has learnt that 40 farmers from eight villages went to claim compensation for their ruined farmlands.
U San Mya, a famer whose farmland was covered by mud said: “In previous years, the Settlement and Land Record Department (SLRD) came and gave us compensation after the end of the rainy season. But this year, although the rainy season has already finished, we have heard nothing. That is why, we have put in a claim.”
The township administrator, the SLRD and the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) representatives held talks with the farmers at the township administration office. The township administration office said they could not yet offer compensation because the SLRD had not yet received notification of what land had been ruined.
He added that compensation would be paid in February 2015.
They do not yet know how much money will be available for compensation.
Over 30 farmers whose farmland was also covered by mud went to the township administration office to claim compensation on 21st November.
The compensation for mud-covered farmland is calculated by assuming that one acre produces 75 baskets of rice per year. Last year the authorities paid 5,500 kyats for each basket lost, it is not known how much compensation they will pay this year.
The villages of Mala-Kyung, Pyine-Sayt-K, Hnan-Pel-Taung and Kan-De, which lie on the pipeline, have also not yet received any compensation this year.
The 40 farmers most recently claiming compensation for their lands come from Ka-La-Bar-Taung, Daunt-Chaung, U-King, Se-Maw, Kyat-Tain, Tha-Pyu-Taung, Tha-Phan-Khar villages.
Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI
