The Chin state’s tactical commander, Major General Hung Ngai who has taken charge as the chief tactical I from Colonel Tin Hlah, has ordered 85 villagers of Thantlang Township to buy Jatthropha since March. The announcement was made by Mr. Lai To, the chairman of Township Peace and Development Council of Thantlang, a local in Thantlang said.

The money collected from villages has to be paid to the TPDC office in Thantlang and the seeds of Jathropha can be taken from the same office this month.

Till now the villagers in Thantlang Township have not got the seeds and they have no idea about the quantity of seeds the authorities will provide.

"They have already collected money from the people. But have not yet provided the seeds. And we don't know how much they will provide," said a local.

It is learnt that Jathropha seeds to be provided will depend on the amount of money collected from each village. The villagers can start planting it from this month.

The village which gave Kyat 2 lakhs will get the value of two lakhs worth of seeds and the village which gave Kyat 6 lakhs will also get the same amount of Jathropha seeds. No one knows how much it will cost per tin.

The military regime started Jathropha cultivation from 2003 to extract oil from the seed.

Although the military government officially announced in 2006 that they started Jathropha plantation on 10,000 acres four years ago, they cannot show how much oil has been extracted from the Jathropha plantations in Chin state.

Over 7,000 acres of Jathropha plantation in Falam, Chin state was burnt in a forest fire in March. No one is certain whether they will re-plant in the same area. – KNG.