Five years since the Government's direction, the problems at the Ban Ve hydropower project have not been completely resolved.

Tired of waiting

Problems and obstacles in Ban Ve hydropower projectwas reported by Nghe An Newspaper after Tuong Duong district suffered a historic flood on August 30-31, 2018.

The fundamental solution was clarified after a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, through Notice No. 143/TB-VPCP dated April 13, 2019 of the Government Office.

Full text of Notice No. 143/TB-VPCP dated April 13, 2019 is as follows:“After listening to the report of the leaders of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee and the opinions of the delegates attending the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung concluded as follows:

The Ban Ve Hydropower Project in Yen Na Commune, Tuong Duong District, Nghe An Province was approved by the Prime Minister and assigned to the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) as the Investor. The project started construction in 2004 and was put into operation in 2010, supplying the country with an average of 1,084.2 million kWh/year. The project has received great contributions and support from the Party Committee and people of Nghe An Province, especially 3,022 households with more than 14,324 people from 34 villages in Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts, who have proactively implemented the Party and State's policies and supported the investor in relocating people to hand over clean land to build the Ban Ve Hydropower Plant on schedule (2004 - 2010).

However, up to now, the compensation, support and resettlement policies still have some problems, directly affecting the lives of people in the resettlement and migration areas in recent years. Especially due to the impact of the circulation of storm No. 4 (August 2018), it caused severe damage to houses, architectural works, crops and many other public works.

In order to soon stabilize the lives of people and ethnic minorities in the Vietnam - Laos border area due to the need to hand over the construction site of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project before the 2019 flood season, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is requested to direct the Vietnam Electricity Group to urgently coordinate with the People's Committee of Nghe An province and Tuong Duong and Thanh Chuong districts to review existing problems related to compensation, support, resettlement and damage after storm No. 4 (August 2018) of people in the Ban Ve Hydropower Project area and the affected area of ​​the Project.

On that basis, consider and handle financial support from the investment capital of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project in accordance with current regulations, to help people in the Project area overcome existing problems and difficulties in compensation, support and resettlement work.

However, the problems and backlog in the Ban Ve hydropower project were continued to be recorded after the meeting with voters of Yen Na commune by the Provincial People's Council delegates on November 7, 2024.

Meeting with the Provincial People's Council delegates, voters of Ban Ve, Yen Na commune proposed that competent authorities deploy the construction of a new resettlement area for 20 households that had to be urgently relocated in Khe Co Chanh. Due to the impact of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant releasing floodwaters on August 30-31, 2018, including 3 unimplemented contents including construction of drainage ditches; road to resettlement area; construction of low voltage power station for households because currently using high-priced construction site electricity and unsafe temporary power lines.

Regarding this content, according to Mr. Vi Thanh Tung - Chairman of Yen Na Commune People's Committee, Tuong Duong District People's Committee has coordinated with Ban Ve Hydropower Plant investor to review and synthesize voters' recommendations, including them in the additional investment category of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant project.

The proposed budget is more than 30 billion VND to build a resettlement area in Xop Vi cluster, Xop Chao village, Luong Minh commune; to build Khe Chong resettlement area to urgently relocate 19 households in Ve village from the landslide area.

On October 14, 2024, the Government Office issued Notice No. 7505/VPCP on the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to resolve difficulties of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project; on October 30, 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Official Dispatch No. 8684/BCT-DL implementing the direction of the Deputy Prime Minister. On the part of the Provincial People's Committee, on November 1, 2024, Official Dispatch No. 9643/UBND-CN assigned the Department of Industry and Trade to preside over and coordinate with Vietnam Electricity Group to implement.

However, because the voters of Yen Na commune had waited too long, they continued to make petitions. Through the discussion with the provincial People's Council delegates on November 7, they were very concerned because they realized that there were still problems. Chairman of Yen Na commune People's Committee - Mr. Vi Thanh Tung said: "In response to the petition of Yen Na commune voters, the provincial People's Council delegates said that Vietnam Electricity Group is concerned about the wording in the documents on the issue of authority to resolve. Therefore, the province is assigning relevant agencies to continue to follow up and work with Vietnam Electricity Group to resolve this content once and for all...".

Is there hope?

Systematizing related documents, compensation, support, resettlement of Ban Ve hydropower project and support due to the impact of the flood in August 2018 were determined to be implemented in Tuong Duong and Thanh Chuong districts.

In particular, for Tuong Duong district, at the Xop Vi cluster resettlement area, Xop Chao village (Luong Minh commune), support for extra-village roads and roads in residential areas, Khe Pong bridge, water supply system; support at Khe Chong resettlement area to urgently relocate 19 Ban Ve households out of the landslide area of ​​Yen Na commune, traffic items of the resettlement area; anti-landslide embankment system; drainage system; power supply system.

For Thanh Chuong district, support for the construction of Ban Noong Cultural House, Ngoc Lam commune; Martyrs' Memorial, rural market and stadium in Thanh Son and Ngoc Lam communes. The total estimated value of the proposed support items is more than 51 billion VND.

On August 28, 2024, in Document 218/BC-BCT, the Ministry of Industry and Trade reported very specifically on the additional resettlement support for the Ban Ve Hydropower Project to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. Thereby, it is recommended that the Prime Minister agree on the policy to allow Vietnam Electricity Group to support people in the Ban Ve Hydropower Resettlement Area from the Project's investment capital to completely resolve problems and ensure a stable life. Assign Vietnam Electricity Group to organize the implementation of support work to ensure compliance with legal regulations; at the same time, assign the People's Committee of Nghe An province to coordinate with Vietnam Electricity Group to organize the implementation of support work for people in the Ban Ve Hydropower Resettlement Area...

On October 14, 2024, the Government Office issued Document No. 7505/VPCP-NN on additional resettlement support for the Ban Ve Hydropower Project to the Ministry of Industry and Trade; Nghe An Provincial People's Committee; Vietnam Electricity Group. The content of Document No. 7505/VPCP-NN shows that Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has the following opinion:“Based on Report No. 218/BC-BCT dated August 28, 2024 mentioned above and relevant legal provisions, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam Electricity Group, and Nghe An Provincial People's Committee, within their assigned authority, functions and tasks, shall review and handle in accordance with current legal provisions and the Government's leadership's direction in Notice No. 143/TB-VPCP dated April 13, 2019 of the Government Office; promptly coordinate and implement measures to stabilize people's lives.”

With the above documents, showing the high consensus of the Government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade in thoroughly resolving the existing problems and difficulties in the Ban Ve hydropower project, why are there still concerns? Contacting Mr. Nguyen Huu Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district, it was discussed that before November 7, 2024, there were still opinions that in Document No. 7505/VPCP-NN of the Government Office assigned "review and handle in accordance with current legal regulations", but did not "agree on the policy to allow Vietnam Electricity Group to support people in the resettlement area of ​​​​Ban Ve hydropower plant" as proposed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

However, the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district informed that on November 8, 2024, Vietnam Electricity Group issued Document No. 6345/EVN-QLXD assigning Power Generation Corporation 1 as the investor of Ban Ve Hydropower Project to resolve existing problems and difficulties in compensation, support and resettlement.

Vice Chairman of Tuong Duong District People's Committee Nguyen Huu Hien said: "In Document No. 6345/EVN-QLXD, Vietnam Electricity Group requested Power Generation Corporation 1 to urgently coordinate with Nghe An Provincial People's Committee and related units to handle the existing problems in Ban Ve Hydropower Project according to the direction of the Government and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Therefore, Tuong Duong District believes that this content will be completely resolved in the near future...".