Govt to confiscate over 18,000 acres of vacant, fallow and virgin lands failing to implement projects

The government will confiscate more than 18,000 acres of vacant, fallow and virgin lands and nationalize the Security Fees for failing to implement activities, according to the meeting of the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Central Committee.
Starting from February 2021 to date, the committee granted land ownership and land use permits for over 18,000 acres of lands comprising over 8,000 acres for agriculture, over 1,000 acres for livestock, over 953 acres for mining and over 8,000 acres for other businesses allowed by the government under the law.
After enacting 2012 Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law, the committee allowed more than 180,000 acres of lands for the respective agriculture, livestock and business enterprises. The Region, State and Union Territory Land Management Committees have allowed over 220,000 acres and over 410,000 acres of vacant, fallow and virgin lands across the nation. Under the provisions of the regulations, the specific times have arrived and those who have the rights to utilize the lands need to implement as per the rules and regulations.
According to Paragraph 52 of Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law, those who received a permit shall have to implement their operations at 15 per cent in the first year, 30 per cent in the second year, 30 per cent in the third year and 25 per cent in the fourth year during the four years from the date of commencement.
The operations on the permitted vacant, fallow and virgin lands for mining should be completed during a fixed time with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation. The land utilization permit will be revoked if they fail to complete the operations and the Security Fees will be nationalized. Moreover, the officials from respective levels need to systematically supervise following the provisions of the law not to mortgage, offer, sell, rent and hand over or make portion vacant, fallow and virgin lands without the permission of the Union Government and collecting land taxes within the set time, Chairman of Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Central Committee Union Minister U Tin Htut Oo in the central committee meeting.
The government enacted the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law on 30 March 2012 and also enacted Law Amending the Vacant, Fallow and Virgin Land Management Law (2018) on 11 September 2018 with Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Law No 24.—TWA/GNLM