Government called for the crack-down on illegal selling of farmland for residential purposes, which has reduced the amount of land available for agriculture

As demand for living quarters rises on the back of an expanding population, so has the illegal selling of farmland for residential purposes, U Hla Kyaw, deputy minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, said during last week’s Amyotha Hluttaw meeting.

He said the number of instances where plots of land meant for agriculture purposes have been carved out and sold to residents for other purposes has increased.

He added that this illegal distribution of farmland for urban purposes is a key reason for the dwindling space available for agriculture development 

“We have already taken action against those who failed to act according to the law, which prohibits the utilisation of farmland for other purposes and will continue to do so,” said U Hla Kyaw, adding that although the law has been prescribed, there are still many cases that violate the rules.  

U Hla Kyaw’s remarks come after a proposal to implement programs to control and check for such activities taken by irresponsible or corrupt land management committees was submitted to Parliament by U Myo Win, MP from Mon State Constituency.

He added that the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation, Ministry of Home Affairs and other related municipal organisations should cooperate to ensure the regulations and procedures under the law are adhered to.

Lieutenant- Colonel Aung Kyaw Zaw, Tatmadaw MP, pointed out that using farmland for other purposes is common practice in Myanmar. To effectively prevent illegal distribution of farmland, corruption must be prevented by creating a website stating the price and taxes involved in the use of farmland, he said.

The proposal was approved by Parliament.

(The Myanmar Times: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/govt-crack-down-illegal-use-farmland.html )

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