Regarding the Ban Mong Reservoir Project, in November 2022, Nghe An Newspaper published articles such as "Ban Mong, many sighs..."; "Ban Mong, a premonition of worry", reflecting the inadequate situation of resettlement for households whose land was recovered within the project's water storage planning area; the situation of re-encroachment and use of land that the State had compensated and cleared.
Talking to Nghe An Newspaper reporters about the contents mentioned in the newspaper, the representative of the investor (Project Management Board for Investment in Construction of Agricultural Works and Rural Development of Nghe An) said that they had sent a document requesting the authorities and the Compensation, Support and Resettlement Council of Quy Chau district to strengthen management and protection, to prevent the re-encroachment of the State-compensated land area for site clearance at the Ban Mong Reservoir Project (Official Dispatch No. 118/BQLDA-KH2 on the management and protection of re-encroachment of land for site clearance compensation, Ban Mong Reservoir Project, Nghe An province).
Official dispatch No. 118/BQLDA-KH2 states: “Nghe An Provincial People's Committee has issued Decision No. 627/QD-UBND.NN, dated February 10, 2015, according to which, Quy Chau District People's Committee is assigned to perform the task of investor in the compensation, relocation, resettlement (planning, design and construction of resettlement areas), site clearance in Quy Chau district under the Ban Mong Reservoir Project. Up to now, in Quy Chau district, compensation has been paid to 1,611 organizations, individuals and households in 11 villages and hamlets in Chau Binh commune and 7 villages and hamlets in Chau Hoi commune affected by the project; 1 village in Chau Nga commune (including 158 households having to relocate their houses); Issued 147 Decisions approving compensation, support and resettlement plans with a total approved budget of 476.7 billion VND. Recovered 672 hectares of land (of which, residential land 7.4 hectares; agricultural land 664.5 hectares).
However, in recent times, in Quy Chau district, there has been a situation where some households and individuals have re-encroached and used land that has been recovered and compensated for site clearance. For example, in Binh Quang and Bung Khe Tang villages, many households, after being compensated for site clearance according to regulations, have re-encroached and used the land for the purpose of growing acacia, sugarcane, corn, etc.
Therefore, the Management Board of Nghe An Agricultural and Rural Development Construction Investment Project respectfully requests the District People's Committee; Compensation, Support and Resettlement Council of Quy Chau District to consider and have solutions to prevent and promptly handle illegal re-encroachment within the scope of influence of the Ban Mong Reservoir Project that has been compensated in the district, to avoid overlapping in site clearance compensation, minimize damage to people, and especially, ensure that it does not affect the overall progress of the project.
The investor's representative also acknowledged that the project was behind schedule, and the resettlement areas of the project were slow to be implemented, leading to many difficulties for officials and people in the project area, especially for a group of households whose land was recovered but were slow to be allocated resettlement land. However, to solve these problems related to investment capital. In that case, it is necessary to wait for the Government to allow the adjustment of the total investment of the project. The representative said: "The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is reporting and requesting the Government to allow the adjustment of the total investment of the Ban Mong Reservoir Project. Recently, the Government has worked with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Planning and Investment on reviewing and adjusting the total investment of the project. However, to consider adjusting the capital, the Government assigned relevant ministries and branches to continue reviewing the legal procedures...".
According to the People's Committee of Quy Chau district, the compensation, support and resettlement work for the Ban Mong Reservoir Project still faces many difficulties and problems. Specifically, there are 382 graves at Ke Khoang Cemetery that have not been compensated and relocated because a new cemetery has not been arranged. The compensation and site clearance work for a number of households that use flat land along rivers, streams, and wasteland (managed by organizations) for production is facing difficulties; the reason is that the survey map serving the compensation and site clearance work only shows one plot of land.
There are 2 households permanently residing in Binh 3 village, Chau Binh commune, but received land and were granted Land Use Rights Certificate with a total area of 38,557m2.2in Binh Quang area. However, at the time of land allocation, these two households were commune officials, the land allocation was determined to be incorrect according to the provisions of Decree 64/ND-CP (The District People's Committee inspected and concluded in Document No. 262/KL-UBND dated June 2, 2017). During the site clearance process in the field, there were a number of households and individuals residing in Yen Hop commune, Quy Hop district who were producing and cultivating agriculture stably on an area of 38,557m2This. Therefore, the District People's Committee prepared a dossier, only compensating for assets on land according to the provisions of law. However, households and individuals in Yen Hop commune did not agree on the compensation plan for assets on land but requested that compensation for land be paid before households and individuals could hand over the site.
Currently, the land plot extraction and measurement files for compensation and site clearance for some items are slow to be approved, some construction items arise, and compensation is interrupted, affecting the notification of land acquisition and the progress of compiling compensation and site clearance files; The capital source is not assigned to the investor (Quy Chau district), not allocated according to regulations so that the investor can be autonomous in developing the implementation plan; The construction progress of the resettlement area after the auxiliary dam 1 depends on the progress of blocking the flow of the auxiliary dam 1; The resettlement area of slope 77 has a slope that is too steep (12%) and needs to be renovated; The production areas have not yet been cleared and invested in infrastructure construction...
To resolve these difficulties and shortcomings, the People's Committee of Quy Chau district requested the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to propose and recommend to the Central Government and relevant ministries and branches to arrange investment capital. The Provincial People's Committee is requested to consider reclaiming a part of the land area of Co Ba Forestry Farm (about 2 hectares) to build a new cemetery for Ke Khoang village. The People's Committee of Quy Chau district also requested the Provincial Project Management Board to urgently hand over the cadastral map measurement records to serve the compensation and site clearance work according to elevation 76.4, so that the District People's Committee has a basis to approve the compensation and site clearance plan according to regulations; allocate separate funding sources for the investor of Quy Chau district to be proactive in implementation and disbursement; speed up the construction progress of the auxiliary dam 1 so that the district has a site for construction of the resettlement area after the auxiliary dam 1; allow the adjustment of the resettlement project of slope 77 according to the construction plan, reducing the slope from 12% to 3%; allow land clearance and construction of infrastructure for production areas...
Referring to the difficulties, problems and obstacles in the Ban Mong Reservoir Project, Secretary of the Quy Chau District Party Committee, Mr. Vuong Quang Minh also said: “In the past time, there have been many meetings between National Assembly deputies and voters of Quy Chau district. And every time, the district has proposed and recommended this issue to the National Assembly deputies. It must be said that the project has lasted for more than 10 years, so the cadres and people of Quy Chau district are very tired. Most recently, before the 11th session of the Provincial People's Council, with the responsibility of a Provincial People's Council deputy, I also recommended to the province and the Central Government that there must be a plan to completely handle the Ban Mong Reservoir Project. Because even though this issue has been proposed many times but there has not been a solution, we must continue to propose...".