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Roundup: Public petitions to gov't lead to halt of city development project in Myanmar's Yangon

Xinhua, July 8, 2015 Adjust font size:

Public petitions to the President has led to halt of a controversial city development project near Myanmar's Shwedagon Pagoda involving four private companies.

Myanmar government Tuesday announced cancellation of the ongoing Dagon City development project being implemented on a large vacant land plot in Yangon's Dagon township left by the Defense Ministry.

The project site is at former National Defense College and motor transport battalion in the township in Yangon, about 1.5 kilometers from the world-known pagoda.

At first, the ministry had invited tenders for development projects at these sites in a bid to make Yangon a modern city and the tenders were won by four private companies which were later permitted by the Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) in accordance with law to start the project, according to the government announcement.

As the project site lies near the sacred Shwedagon Pagoda, local public were gradually concerned about the pagoda, and people, experts and religious monks sent petitions to the president demanding a halt to the project reasoning that the project may impact on the view or affect the foundation of the pagoda.

In face of increased public concern, the MIC, along with the defense ministry, also recommended cancellation of the project deeming that the project is not suitable to go on any further although the project had been legally granted to the four investors earlier for the development.

Expressing reluctance to damage the religious edifices and cultural heritages to pave way for the development project, the government, in its announcement, said it negotiated with the companies undertaking the projects to have them canceled.

However, the government assured that it will continue to coordinate with investors for their loss due to halt of the project.

The project was originally designed to include building international standard hotels, offices, residential buildings and super markets. Endi