25 August 2007 - House owners residing along Bogyoke Road in Kalay town, Sagaing division, Burma have been ordered to broaden the road in front of their homes at their own cost.

The order was issued by U Soe Win, president of Kalay’s Township Peace and Development Council.

The authorities in Kalay Township are gearing up to widen the two-way Bogyoke Road from 50 feet to 100 over a nine mile stretch. However, residents have been ordered to take the responsibility of widening the road running past their homes, said a local from Kalay.

“Actually, it is the work of the military government; I don’t understand why civilians have to construct the road. The people are terribly frustrated,” a local from Kalay said.

As it is the residents are in a financial bind and constructing one feet of asphalt road will cost Kyat 3000.

Though the authorities announced that it would contribute Kyat 1,500 for a feet of asphalt road to each household, the locals have not received any financial assistance yet, said a local in Kalay.

House demolition

Meanwhile Kalay town’s municipal authorities have asked Cin Sian Thang, a prominent Chin politician from Zomi National Congress party, to demolish a portion of his house said to be encroaching on Bogyoke Road before August 28. He is among around 1000 households residing on along the road.

Hakha–Mantaw Road

The authorities in Chin state collected money from the people for the construction of the 80 mile long proposed Hakha–Mantaw Road that will connect Chin state with Sagaing Division, in northwestern Burma. 

The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) government sanctioned Kyat 12,600,000 (US $ 9618.32) for the Hakha-Mantaw Road construction project in the 2006-2007 fiscal year. Moreover, Chin people abroad also contributed Kyat 12,100,000 (US $ 9236) to the construction fund.

Although a huge sum of money was channeled to the road construction fund committee headed by the Township Peace and Development Council (TPDC) authorities, the people from Thangtlang town and Hakha town, capital of Chin state were forced to pay for the proposed road connecting Hakha to Mantaw in Kalay Township, Sagaing division. The people are angry with the authorities.

The proposed road is targeted to be completed in 2008. It will be 12 feet wide and 80 miles long. So far only 30 miles have been completed.  

The brains behind collecting the money from the locals are U Khin Maung Win, TPDC president of Hakha and U laito, TPDC president of Thangtlang. They extracted Kyat 1,000 from each household. – Khonumthung.