Mr. Khuang Lian, Chairman of TPDC and police officers in Falam Township conducted an inspection and assessment of the condition of Jatropha projects in remote areas of Falam in June this year, said a local in Chin state.

Following the visit of the president of TPDC to the Jatropha project areas, government servants were said to have been engaged in Jatropha re-plantation in Lung Rang and Tlang Zar villages in Falam Township, Chin state.

Government employees attend office for only three days a week. Sometimes the authorities close the office for the entire week for the employees to spend time in revamping the Jatropha project site, said a local.

To make matters worse the government employees have to spend their own money to buy Jatropha seeds from the TPDC office.

During its tour to Jatropha plantation sites in remote areas in Falam, the authorities were also said to have told government employees to plant Jatropha in the compound of schools and other places where the trees have not yet been grown.

In the event of the employees failing to involve themselves in re-plantation work, action will be taken against absentees.

The military government in Myanmar began to introduce Jatropha as long term project in Chin state in 2003. KNG