Green light for Yangon expansion plan
A proposal to implement the "Greater Yangon Strategic Plan 2040" submitted by city mayor Hla Myint has been approved by the regional parliament amid widespread criticism.
MP Win Naing supported the extension plan that covers seven proposed sites measuring more than 0.1 million acres, despite MPs U Kyaw and Dr Nyo Nyo Thin opposing it.
Nyo Nyo Thin said: “This proposal is the combination of six other projects with some paragraphs contained in the recently suspended ‘Yangon new city plan’. There are many questions from the public about it. People have raised concerns that the government has submitted plans when there is only nine months of its term left. There are concerns that relatives and friends of members of the regional government have bought the land.
“Given the unlawful confiscation of farmland, black money, the secret formation of a committee for each project and lack of transparency, the parliament should have opposed the scheme,” she added.
Mayor Hla Myint said the proposed seven sites contained in the extension plan were nothing to do with the previous town plan. He said under existing farmland laws, the handover of farmland permits could be done only with the prior approval of landowners and there would be no forced seizures of farmland under the current government.
“The priority for the new town plan will be land management and the development of basic infrastructure. The proposal is just a concept not a detailed plan. Only after getting the green light from the parliament will we conduct a socio-economic survey and choose the sites. It will take time to draft a detailed plan,” the mayor added.
The seven sites chosen for the new towns are Yangon west-east Myothit, Yangon southeast Myothit, Thanlyin Myothit, Dala Myothit, Htantabin Myothit, Hmawbi Myothit and Hlegu Myothit. These projects included direct implementation by the regional government and joint partnerships with union ministries, the mayor said.
Nyo Nyo Thin told the media after the session: “The president issued an order to suspend the Yangon new city plan in September 2014. This town extension proposal includes the suspended new town plan. It amounts to deceiving the public.”
