NAY PYI TAW, 26 Oct-President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar U Thein Sein, accompanied by Deputy Speaker of Pyithu Hluttaw U Nanda Kyaw Swa, Lt-Gen Hla Htay Win of the Office of the Commanderin- Chief of Defence Services, Union Minister for Home Affairs Lt-Gen Ko Ko, Union Minister for Industry-1 and for Industry-2 U Soe Thein, Union Minister at the President Office U Soe Maung, Union Minister for Rail Transportation U Aung Min, Union Minister for Construction U Khin Maung Myint, Union Minister for Electric Power No. 1 U Zaw Min, Union Minister for Labour and for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Aung Kyi, Union Minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs U Thein Tun, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation U Khin Zaw, Deputy Minister for Education U Aye Kyu, Deputy Minister for Health Dr Win Myint and officials yesterday morning left here by special Tatmadaw aircraft and arrived at Pakokku Airport in Pakokku District, Magway Region, at 10 am.
The President and party were welcomed by Chief Minister of Magway Region U Phone Maw Shwe, Commander of North-West Command Maj- Gen Soe Lwin, Deputy Minister for Construction U Kyaw Lwin, Deputy Minister for SWRR U Phone Swe and region ministers.
They went to Pakokku Station and then proceeded to Shwe Creek rail bridge by special train. Union Minister U Aung Min reported on repair works for Shwe Creek rail bridge which was damaged in the erosion of the creek in heavy rains. The President gave instructions on systematic tasks to be carried out for durability of the bridge.
They viewed condition of Shwe Creek Bridge damaged in erosion of the creek in heavy rain. Union Minister U Khin Maung Myint reported on damaged Shwe Creek Bridge in overflow of Shwe Creek caused by heavy rains, construction of bailey bridge for smooth transport of local people, the chosen site for new RC bridge and its length.
After hearing the reports, the President gave instructions on construction as quickly as possible of strong foundation for the bridge and formation of larger bridge span not to block debris in the water.
The President and party viewed construction of temporary Shwechaung Road on a motorcade.
At Tilawkayama Monastery in Pakokku, the President and party attended the ceremony to present relief supplies and cash assistance to flood victims of Pakokku Township and spoke words of encouragement.
Speaking on the occasion, President U Thein Sein said that lives and property were lost in unprecedented overflow of creek in Pakokku District due to heavy rains. Therefore, rehabilitation works are to be carried out for survival of the flood victims.
At present, three steps of tasks are being undertaken for rehabilitation.
For the first step, region, district and township level authorities are to carry out emergency rescue and relief works. In the second step, the Vice- President gave encouragement to the victims and supervised gathering of data for the losses. He said that for the third step, he himself arrived there to effectively supervise the work procedures.
To do so, he took officials, Union ministers, responsible persons of Myanmar Women’s Affairs Federation and Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association, entrepreneurs and wellwishers to the area.
Despite facing natural disaster of cyclone Nargis that claimed over 130,000 lives and destroyed a large number of property, the government, the people and the Tatmadaw joined hands in successfully carrying out rehabilitation tasks in a short time.
The government has made a plan to fulfil basic needs of the flood victims. Due to living near the bank of creek, people inevitably had to face damages caused by natural disaster. Thus, it is necessary to make field trips for resettling the flood victims at the secure and safe places not to face losses again. On his trip, the President said that NGOs and entrepreneurs will make donations to the victims.
At present, he deal with the matters of the authorities concerned to fulfil food, clothing and health needs of the victims.
After that, it is necessary to take an adequate time for providing shelter to them and they must fulfill shelter needs of the victims as compulsory task. Plans are to be made to rebuild the schools and provide stationery to children. Therefore, it is necessary to open the temporary school buildings as quickly as possible.
With regard to the health sector, the Ministry of Health is to take responsibility for supply of clean drinking water to the victims to be free from outbreak of diseases.
The State will help the victims to a certain period of time and the victims for their part are to work harder than before.
Necessary assistance will be provided to them for construction of housings. In so doing, the government will build the temporary housings only, and the victims are to improve their housings on their own. The victims are to make long-term plans to be able to stand on their own, without complacency in the life of easy come, easy go.
President U Thein Sein handed over K 4.51 million-K 10,000 each for deceased person and K 10,000 each for 384 household victims of Pakokku Township- to the Region Chief Minister.
Union Minister U Soe Thein donated clothes and household goods worth K 27 million for flood victims, Union Minister Lt-Gen Ko Ko 1000 bags of rice worth K 15 million, Union Minister Lt-Gen Thein Htay, 225 tons of rice donated by Ministry of Border Affairs and WFP, drinking water and medicines by Ministry of Border Affairs and UNICEF and rice, edible oil and instant noodle packets worth K 5 million, Union Minister U Aung Kyi K 5,984,554, Union Minister U Thein Tun, five CDMA mobile phones, Deputy Minister U Aye Kyu 300 dozens of exercise books, Magway Region Government rice, edible oil, salt and gram worth K 4.5 million, MWAF edible oil, clothes and K 2.5 million, President of MWAF Daw Thet Thet Zin rice and clothes worth K 7.5 million, Yangon Region Women’s Affairs Organization K 500,000, Magway Region Maternal and Child Welfare Supervisory Committee and Region WAO K 2 million and 2023 treated mosquito nets worth K 5,563,800, Union Solidarity and Development Party relief supplies worth K 33.8 million, traders and businessmen, and townselders Magway Region K 5 million-K 200,000 each for 25 houses, Pakokku Township Chamber of Commerce K 11 million-K 200,000 each for 55 houses, Max Myanmar Co and Ayeyawady Family rice, edible oil, salt, gram and other supplies worth K 50 million, Htoo Trading rice, edible oil, gram and supplies K 10 million, Yangon Crown Co K 10 million-K 200,000 each for 50 houses, Mindon Co Ltd K 5 million, Europe-Asia Co 500 bags of rice worth K 10 million, U Khin Maung Lay-Daw Mar Mar Oo family K 5 million-K 200,000 each for 25 houses, CB Bank, Shwe Than Lwin Co, IGE Co, IBTC Co, Htoo Co and Shwetaung Co K 10 million each through officials.
The President and party cordially greeted the flood victims of Pakokku Township.
The donations to the flood victims in Pakokku Township amounted to K 356.199 million including rice, edible oil, clothes, foodstuff and household goods.
Htoo company, IBTC company, CT Bank, Shwe Thanlwin company, IGE company and Shwetaung company donated K 200 million each, totaling K 1200 million for reconstruction of houses in Pakokku, Myaing, Pauk and Seikpyu Townships in Pakokku District.
The President and party paid homage to Chairman of Township Monastic Education Committee Presiding Sayadaw Maha Suddhama Jotikadhaja Bhaddanta Paññavamsa of Tilokarama Monastery and supplicated matters related to opening of relief camp for flood victims in the monastery and arrangements for rebuilding of Aye Nyein Chantha monastery which was damaged by the flash floods.
Next, the President and party left Pakokku by helicopter and arrived in Myaing Township where they spoke words of encouragement and presented cash and kind to flood victims at the town hall.
In his words of encouragement, Union Minister U Thein Tun said the President and Union ministers were there to provide necessary assistance to flood victims not only in Myaing Township but also in Pakokku District. Apart from sending officials concerned, the President himself arrived there to render assistance to flood victims who experienced floods that had never occurred during a 100-year period.
Only through collaborative efforts of Union ministers, departmental personnel, responsible persons of social organizations, entrepreneurs, local authorities and townselders, will livelihoods of flood victims recover as soon as possible.
The Union minister called for more cooperation in making efforts for rehabilitation of flood victims, understanding the government’s goodwill. Arrangements for education of children and temporary shelters for those who lost their homes in the floods are urgently needed. Rehabilitation of flood victims are to be carried out collectively in order to bring them to normal as soon as possible.
Next, cash and kind presentation ceremony followed. The President presented K 760,000- K10000 each for the deceased persons and K 10000 each for 69 household victims- to the Region Chief Minister.
Then, officials received 40 bags of rice donated by the Ministry of Home Affairs, K 5 million and household goods by projects jointly-organized by the Ministry of Border Affairs and WFP and UNICEF, 540 bags of rice and five CDMA mobile phones by the family of the Union minister for Communications, Posts and Telegraphs, staff, relatives and colleagues, clothes and household goods by the Ministry of Indusrty-1, six kinds of rescue items, cash assistance for rice, CI sheets and nails by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, 100 dozens of exercise books by the Ministry of Education, K 2 million each by CB Bank, Shwe Thanlwin company, IGE company, IBTC company, Htoo company, Shwetaung company and Kaung Zaw Hein company, 1.5 million by Chanmyaetharyar company, K 1 million each by wellwishers of Hsuwin and Waltaung regions and Myaing Township Association (Yangon) and K 2 million each by Myaing Township Women’s Affairs Organization, Myaing Township Maternal and Child Welfare Association and wellwishers.
Afterwards, the President and party cordially greeted flood victims of Myaing Township and spoke words of encouragement.
The donation to flood victims amounted to K 41.429 million.
The President and party flew over to Pauk Township where they attended cash and kind donation ceremony at Yaypyar BEHS.
In his words of encouragement, Magway Region Chief Minister U Phone Maw Shwe said that floods in Pauk Township destroyed houses, took some lives of animals, destroyed a bridge and a transformer and damaged paddy and crop plantations.
Rehabilitation works for recovery of livelihood of flood victims and arrangements for handing over cash assistance of the State and donation of wellwishers to flood victims will be carried out as soon as possible. Measures will be taken for cultivation works to be resumed. Flood victims, for their part, are to take part in rehabilitation works with full capacity while the government is striving for recovery of livelihood of flood victims.
The President presented K 4.01 million- K10000 each for the deceased persons in Pauk Township and K 10000 each for 380 household victims- to the Region Chief Minister.
Next, clothes and household goods donated by the Ministry of Industry-1 and Industry-2 were handed over to flood victims.
Officials received 180 bags of rice donated by the Union minister for Home Affairs, rice, edible oil and noodle packets worth K 5 million by the Ministry of Border Affairs, 745 bags of rice for 380 households and 2381 flood victims and water purifying devices, clothes, exercise books and school uniforms under the programme between the Ministry of Border Affairs and WFP, rice bags, 7600 CI sheets and 153 viss of various kinds of nails worth K 547984, five CDMA mobile phones by the Ministry of Communications, Posts and Telegraphs, 100 dozens of exercise books by the Ministry of Education, K 4.4 million by Magway Region government, K 5 million each by CT Bank, Shwe Thanlwin company, IGE company, IBTC company, Htoo company and Shwetaung company and K 10 million- K 200,000 each for 50 houses- by Yangon Crown company.
Afterwards, the President and party cordially and comforted the flood victims in Pauk Township.
Today’s donation in cash to the flood victims in Pauk Township amounted to K77.53 million.
Afterwards, the President and party flew to Seikpyu by helicopter and presented relief aids and cash assistance to flood victims at Taungywama Basic Education Post- Primary School in Seikpyu Township.
At the donation ceremony, the Chief Minister of Magway Region comforted the victims saying that the President was there to comfort the victims and to assist in the relief efforts, therefore, people were to coordinate with the officials concerned to be able to carry out rehabilitation efforts effectively, he said. He continued to say that it was important to practice right ways to be able to supply the donation of the government, private and non-governmental organizations to the hands of the flood victims. Under the arrangements of the President, the helicopters dropped foods and clothes to some villages of Seikpyu and Pauk townships which were not accessible temporarily, he added. The Tatmadaw men would also make development and rehabilitation efforts in the flood-hit villages, and regarding the loss and damage of crops, assistance would be rendered as soon as possible to farmers to grow cold season crops, he said.
Afterwards, President U Thein Sein presented K 12.01 million to Chief Minister U Phone Maw Shwe for 1190 households of flood victims in Seikpyu Township, to provide K10,000 to each family for each loss of life and K10,000 to each household.
Afterwards, Ministry of Industry No.1 and of No. 2 presented clothes and household goods worth K18,563,500; Ministry of Home Affairs 600 bags of rice; Ministry of Border Affairs cash assistance and aids worth K15,372,000; Ministry of Labour and of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement six relief aids worth K4,248,300; Magway Region Government rice, edible oil, gram and salt worth K4,463,235; Ministry of Education 100 dozens of exercise books, Member of the Pyithu Hluttaw Women and Children Affairs Protection Committee K 15 million and relief aids; Hnin Thazin Construction and Shwemyintmo Construction and Transportation K1million each; CB Bank, Shwethanlwin Company, IGE Company, IBTC Company, Htoo Company and Shwetaung Company K10 million each and Chairman of Shwethanlwin Company U Kyaw Win 10 sets of Sky net digital receiver to flood victims through officials concerned.
Afterwards, the President and party cordially greeted and comforted the flood victims.
The relief aids including 10 sets of Sky net receivers to the flood victims in Seikpyu Township has amounted to K145.317 million.
The President and party arrived back Pakokku yesterday evening by helicopter.
Torrential rains poured down on 19 and 20 October and the Yaw, Kyaw, Yama, Myaing and Shwe creeks overflowed, causing flash floods, leaving 106 dead, destroying seven bridges, 2023 houses, five monasteries, over 2400 cattle and animals and over 3000 acres of plantations.
President U Thein Sein and party inspected the Ayeyawady Bridge (Pakokku) being constructed by the Ministry of Construction this morning and inspected progress of Pakokku in a motorcade. They arrived back Nay Pyi Taw on 9.30 am by Tatmadaw flight.