The government has paid 352.583 million kyat compensation to farmland owners whose 172 acres of land were seized by the Ministry of Construction in 2003 to build the outer city road in Pyinmana, Nay Pyi Taw.
The compensation was paid to farmland owners on June 28 at the General Administrative Department, Pyinmana, at the rate of 1.5 million kyats per acre for a paddy field, 1.2 million kyats per acre for farmland and 500,000 kyats per acre for crop compensation.
The rate of compensation was fixed jointly by Ministry of Construction, Pyinmana Township Land Management Committee, Township General Administration Department, Township Land Records Department, local farmers and Village-tracts and Wards Administrators.
Assistant Director Htay Aung from Ministry of Construction, Road Department, Dekhinathiri District, said, “The Land Management Committee primarily fixed the land compensation in collaboration with grassroots organisations. The calculations and rate of compensation had been fixed three years ago.”
Local farmer Myo Tint from Paywet SeikKone village said, “The land near Kyi Inn village which was held in the name of my parents was seized and it has 0.77 acres. I got 1.5 million kyats for land and 500,000 kyats for crop compensation. I have no choice but to take the compensation whether I like it or not. I don’t know how they calculated the compensation.”
Some landowners said that the compensation was too low and they should be paid the current market price. Their land is worth up to 20 million Kyat per acre at the current market price, they said.