Lesson 1: "The leading bird stops flying" in Bau Dung

The 1st Youth Volunteer Team - Nghe An Economic Development (1st Youth Volunteer Team) is located in the midland and lowland mountainous area of ​​3 communes Long Son, Khai Son, Cao Son (Anh Son). This unit was previously assigned to manage 383.19 hectares (296.42 hectares in Long Son commune, 62.18 hectares in Khai Son commune, 24.59 hectares in Cao Son commune). Of these, 219.39 hectares of land were contracted to team members' households and 12.62 hectares of forestry land. In addition, this unit also has about 1 hectare of land for building headquarters, cultural houses, etc.

Going back in history, on September 1, 1986, in the middle of a wild, remote hill area in the mountainous district of Anh Son, the People's Committee of Nghe Tinh province at that time issued Decision No. 1312/QD-UB to establish the Youth Union for Economic Construction. According to this decision, the Youth Union 1 is an "economic unit operating under an independent economic accounting regime, with legal status, its own account and seal, applying financial and banking regimes like a state-owned unit". The Youth Union 1 is responsible for organizing youth forces to carry out land reclamation for basic construction, production and business according to the annual planning targets assigned by the province and economic contracts signed with economic organizations. The immediate task is to carry out land reclamation for the construction of the new economic zone of Bau Dung (Anh Son industrial tea area).

Một góc xã Long Sơn (Anh Sơn) hiện nay. Ảnh: Quang Dũng
A corner of Long Son commune (Anh Son) today. Photo: Quang Dung

The 1st Youth Volunteer Corps is the first economic construction Youth Volunteer Corps of the province, established with the purpose of gathering young volunteers to carry out economic and social programs and projects; both performing the task of socio-economic development, job creation, education, training, vocational training... At that time, the area of ​​Long Son, Khai Son, Cao Son communes was just a wild, sparse hill area, with extremely difficult roads, no electricity, water, television, telephone signals... However, with the will and spirit of youth, the 1st Youth Volunteer Corps soon affirmed its pioneering role and successfully completed the assigned tasks. The collective of the Corps exploited and put into management and use most of the uncultivated land in the project area, creating jobs, improving income and living standards for many young workers, developing infrastructure, culture, society and maintaining security and order. With these achievements, the cadres and team members of the General Team were awarded the Third Class Labor Medal in 1991 by the Party and State; the Second Class Labor Medal in 2001; the First Class Labor Medal in 2005 by the Provincial People's Committee and were awarded the first Youth Cultural Unit Certificate of the province...

However, in 2014, the Provincial People's Committee approved the policy of allowing Viet Phat Trading and Service Joint Stock Company (headquartered in Hanoi) to build a factory to produce Japanese green tea and high-quality green tea in Long Son commune (in the land area managed by the Youth Volunteer Team 1). The detailed plan for the factory construction was also approved by the Provincial People's Committee, in which the entire office area of ​​the Youth Volunteer Team 1 was planned and transferred to the investor to build a factory to produce and process Japanese green tea and high-quality green tea.

Sau nhiều năm giải thể, tuyến đường vào khu vực Tổng đội TNXP 1 nay đã bị xuống cấp, hư hỏng nhưng không được nâng cấp, sửa chữa.
After many years of dissolution, the road to the area of ​​the Youth Volunteer Force 1 has now been degraded and damaged but has not been upgraded or repaired.

In particular, to implement this project, Viet Phat Trading and Service Joint Stock Company also committed to take responsibility for accepting all cadres of the Youth Volunteer Team 1 to work, ensuring the implementation of social insurance and health insurance policies, etc. Prioritizing job creation for team members and their children working at the factory, taking responsibility for purchasing all tea products of the Team and people in the region, and at the same time, fully performing the obligations of the enterprise to the locality.

Therefore, in 2015, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued a plan to dissolve the Youth Volunteer Force 1 along with a decision approving the plan. Accordingly, the goal of the dissolution is to consolidate the Youth Volunteer Force of Nghe An province to meet the requirements of the new stage, improve operational efficiency and contribute to improving the efficiency of using State resources and the rights of cadres and team members in a better way. The dissolution of the Youth Volunteer Force 1 is also to create conditions for Viet Phat Trading and Service Joint Stock Company to invest in building a factory to process Japanese green tea and high-quality green tea to purchase tea materials, solve employment problems, improve income and life for cadres, team members and people in the region.

Trụ sở chính của Tổng đội TNXP 1 hiện nay đã được bán đấu giá, nhưng do không sử dụng nên bị xuống cấp, hư hỏng.
The headquarters of the 1st Youth Volunteer Force has been auctioned, but due to disuse, it has become degraded and damaged.

However, although there was only a plan and no decision to dissolve, the households of the Youth Volunteer Team 1 were handed over to the communes, including 110 households, more than 300 people in Hamlet 8, Long Son Commune; 24 households in Khai Son Commune and 17 households in Cao Son Commune. When the team members here questioned why there was a decision to establish but no decision to dissolve, on October 19, 2021 (i.e. 6 years later), the Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial Youth Union issued a Decision to dissolve the Youth Volunteer Team 1 - Nghe An Construction.

Although the Provincial People's Committee approved Viet Phat Trading and Service Joint Stock Company's plan to build a factory to produce Japanese green tea and high-quality green tea in Long Son commune. At the same time, it approved the sale of assets of the Youth Volunteer Team 1, including the operating area, 2 trucks and a car for more than 600 million VND. However, this project has not yet been seen anywhere. Meanwhile, the promises of a changed life for cadres, team members and people in the project area have also "flown away with the wind".

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hao - Secretary of the Party Cell of Hamlet 8, Long Son Commune - former Head of the Organization - Administration Department, Youth Volunteer Force 1 sighed and said: "When Youth Volunteer Force 1 was established, because it was the first unit in Nghe Tinh province at that time, it received great attention from leaders from the Central to the local level. However, when it was dissolved, it happened in silence, making those of us who had devoted our entire youth here feel sad."

Nhà văn hóa cộng đồng và các dãy nhà được xây dựng những năm mới thành lập đến nay đã trở thành phế tích.
The community cultural house and rows of houses built in the early years of its establishment have now become ruins.

Mr. Dang Van Chuong - former Deputy Commander of the Youth Volunteer Force 1 also said: "Initially, after the Provincial People's Committee approved the dissolution plan, in principle it was just a plan, however, many people thought it was the official document of the dissolution. However, after we questioned it, it took 6 years to get the dissolution decision."

Both Mr. Chuong and Mr. Hao said that in 2015 and 2017, when there was no official decision to dissolve, the leaders of the Youth Volunteer Force 1 also proposed that if there was a decision to establish and a ceremony to announce the decision to establish, then when dissolving, there should also be a decision and announcement of this. They even proposed that the governing body award commemorative medals to nearly 100 youth volunteers of the unit, who had devoted their youth to the movement. However, what they received was only silence.

In particular, in early 2023, Mr. Dang Van Chuong submitted a petition to the 11th session of the 18th Provincial People's Council, requesting the completion of the procedures for handing over the land of the 1st Youth Volunteer Team to the locality for management to issue Land Use Rights Certificates to the team members' households.

Nhiều máy móc nằm ngổn ngang trong sân của trụ sở Tổng đội TNXP 1; Chiếc xe tải của Tổng đội TNXP 1 đã bán cho doanh nghiệp nay nằm phủ bụi trong góc.
Many machines are lying around in the yard of the headquarters of the 1st Youth Volunteer Corps; the truck of the 1st Youth Volunteer Corps that was sold to a business is now covered in dust in the corner.

Immediately after that, the Provincial People's Committee also issued a document to the People's Committee of Anh Son district to urgently check and copy records and documents related to the origin, land type and land use process of the 1st Youth Volunteer Team, previously in the communes and towns. Preside and coordinate with the People's Committee of the commune where the 1st Youth Volunteer Team's land is located and Nghe An Provincial Youth Union to conduct a review and determine the current boundaries in the field, the land area assigned to the 1st Youth Volunteer Team for management and use. After completing the review, a specific report will be issued and related records and documents will be provided to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to serve as a basis for advising the Provincial People's Committee to establish and approve the Technical Design - Estimate for Surveying, making an extract (measurement extract) of the cadastral map of the land for land recovery.

In addition, the Provincial People's Committee also assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to urge, direct and guide the People's Committee of Anh Son district to implement. At the same time, deploy the establishment and advise the Provincial People's Committee to approve the Technical Design - Estimate of Surveying, making extracts (measurements) of cadastral maps for the area previously managed and used by the Youth Volunteer Team 1 to prepare land recovery records according to regulations.

However, up to now, the procedure for handing over land from Youth Volunteer Force 1 to Anh Son District People's Committee for management and procedures for granting Land Use Rights Certificates to people have not been carried out.

Từng là
Once a "leading bird", looking at the current facilities of the 1st Youth Volunteer Force Corps, one cannot help but feel sorry.