An order has been issued to collect money from villagers for the construction of a road that will connect Hakha, capital of Chin state to Mantaw village in Kalay Township, Sagaing division.  

The order issued by Khuang Hlei Thang, chairman of Township Peace and Development Council in Thangtlang Township in Chin state on January 10 directs each village in Thangtlang to contribute Kyat 200,000 (about US $ 160) each for the 80 mile long Hakha-Mantaw road project.

The order further mentioned that each village must pay at the TDPC office in Thangtlang before the end of February.

The latest move has also added to the trouble of villagers who are facing a famine like situation (food crisis) because of bamboo flowering that helps rats multiply across remote areas Chin state.   

"We have no idea where to find so much money when we can hardly generate our daily meal," said a local from Chin state.

The village heads have been assigned to collect the money.

The amount of money to be collected will range from Kyat 2000 to 6000 per household on the basis of the household number in the village. The sum of collected money is estimated to touch Kyat 17,000,000 (US $ 13,654), according to locals.

The eight feet wide Hakha – Mantaw road construction project began in 2006. Initially, it was targeted to be completed in 2007 with government funding. Later, the local authorities carried out the project with fund from civilians and labour of locals.

So far, only 50 miles of the 80 miles of the road has been completed.

On May 2007, the TPDC authorities from Thangtlang town had also collected Kyat 1,000 per household from 85 villages in Thangtlang for labour wages to be paid to road construction workers. – Khonumthung.