CE visits various districts to meet with people (with photos/video)
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     On the second day of her assumption of office today (July 2), the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, conducted home visits in the North District, Kowloon City District, and Central and Western District and met with people to understand their livelihood and listen to the views.
    
     In the afternoon, Mrs Lam went to the reprovisioned Chuk Yuen Village in Ta Kwu Ling to visit villagers whom she had known for years to visit their new homes and get to know their daily lives. Chuk Yuen Village was originally located at the Frontier Closed Area where indigenous villagers and non-indigenous villagers had been living in the same community together for many years. The Government announced the construction of the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point in September 2008, requiring the clearance of the entire Chuk Yuen Village. Having regard to the special circumstances and requests of the villagers, the Government offered some special arrangements in addition to the established compensation and rehousing policy. It provided a village resite area at Ta Kwu Ling with supporting infrastructure to resite those villagers who were eligible for village removal terms, enabling the indigenous villagers and non-indigenous villagers to continue to live together in the reprovisioned Chuk Yuen Village.
 
     Mrs Lam, the then Secretary for Development, met the villagers in person many times to understand their circumstances and listen to their requests. She said during the visit that she was deeply impressed by the spirit of concerted efforts the villagers had in the negotiations of removal with the Government. Mrs Lam particularly thanked the Heung Yee Kuk, the North District Council, the Ta Kwu Ling District Rural Committee and village representatives of Chuk Yuen Village for their immense assistance. Mrs Lam was pleased to know that the living environment and facilities were better at the reprovisioned Chuk Yuen Village and that both indigenous villagers and non-indigenous villagers were very satisfied with their new homes. The Chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk, Mr Kenneth Lau; the Vice-chairman of the Heung Yee Kuk, Mr Cheung Hok-ming; the Chairman of the North District Council, Mr So Sai-chi; the Chairman of Ta Kwu Ling District Rural Committee, Mr Chan Shung-fai and member of the North District Council (Sha Ta constituency), Mr Wan Wo-fai also joined Mrs Lam to meet with villagers.
    
     Mrs Lam then visited two families of elderly residents at Ka Wai Chuen, Hung Hom of the Hong Kong Housing Society to show her care and distributed gift packs to share with them the joy of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Mrs Lam was accompanied by the Chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Society, Mr Marco Wu, the Chairman of the Kowloon City District Council, Mr Pun Kwok-wah and the Director of Home Affairs, Miss Janice Tse in the home visits.

     Ending her visit in the Central and Western District, Mrs Lam, accompanied by the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Light Be, Mr Ricky Yu, visited two families living in the "light homes" at Wing Lee Street with. The street was originally put under the redevelopment project of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA). In response to the aspirations of the community for heritage conservation and the "Conserving Central" project rolled out by the government, the URA announced in March 2010 to conserve completely the existing buildings at Wing Lee Street and rehabilitate the acquired premises at Wing Lee Street. In the end of 2014, the URA leased six of the flats in two tenement buildings to social enterprise "Light Be" to turn them to "light homes" for grass-root single-parent families to live at nominal rent.
  
     After the home visits at Wing Lee Street, Mrs Lam toured the "Heritage Vogue‧Hollywood Road" street carnival organised by the Commissioner for Heritage's Office of the Development Bureau along Hollywood Road, where she also chatted and took photos with members of the public. The carnival, one of the activities in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, included a series of activities such as exhibitions, workshops and performances on the section of Hollywood Road from Aberdeen Street through to the junction with Wyndham Street, which was designated as a part-time pedestrian street today, and in PMQ which was transformed from the former Police Married Quarters. The carnival provided the public an opportunity to experience the rich history, heritage, cultural and arts ambience of Hollywood Road. The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, the Commissioner for Heritage, Mr Jose Yam and the Chairman of the Central & Western District Council, Mr Yip Wing-shing accompanied Mrs Lam in the visit.

     Concluding today's visits, Mrs Lam reiterated that the government attached grave importance to district work and that various Principal Officials would pay district visits regularly to interact and communicate with members of the public, and listen to the views of District Council members on district matters. In the letters sent to the Chairmen of 18 District Councils yesterday on her first day of office, Mrs Lam promised to work with the District Councils to plan for development and resolve district problems together.

Ends/Sunday, July 2, 2017
Issued at HKT 20:40

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