YANGON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's Mandalay regional government has returned over 200 acres (81 hectares) of confiscated land to farmers in Madaya township, official media reported on Sunday.
The land was lost to the construction project of a leper hospital.
More than 800 acres of seized land will continue to be returned to the original owners on completion of scrutiny process, Vice President U Henry Van Thio told the handover ceremony, describing farmland as crucial properties for farmers in an agricultural country.
U Henry Van Thio is also Chairman of the Central Review Committee on Confiscated Farmland.
According to officials, the returned land was originally seized by the former Ministry of Industry-1 in 1977.
In Mandalay, more than 35,000 acres of land were confiscated with some 32,000 acres having been returned, the report added.
In June, some seized land was also returned to farmers in Ayeyawaddy and Nay Pyi Taw Council area, according to earlier official report.
More than one month after taking office, the new government was committed to a speedy resolution of farmland confiscation issue and return of abandoned land to their lawful owners.
During the tenure of the former government, private companies and government departments were allowed to confiscate land, including farmland, under the pretext of urbanization and industrialization.
However, land disputes erupted between the government, landowners and investors over ownership.
Farmland confiscation was blamed on use in infrastructural construction and business initiatives of private companies, national economic projects and construction of industrial zones by the previous government.
Since the new government took office on April 1, several dozens of complaints on farmland confiscation mostly from Mandalay region and Kayin state continued to be lodged, said the committee, adding that a total of 81,000 hectares of farmland has been confiscated nationwide up to date.
