Regarding the Ban Mong Reservoir Project, in November 2022, Nghe An Newspaper published articles titled "Ban Mong, many sighs..." and "Ban Mong, a premonition of worry," reflecting the numerous shortcomings in the resettlement work for households whose land was confiscated within the project's water storage area; and the situation of re-encroachment and use of land that had already been compensated and cleared by the State.
In an exchange with a reporter from Nghe An Newspaper regarding the issues raised in the report, a representative of the investor (Nghe An Provincial Management Board for Investment and Construction of Agricultural and Rural Development Projects) stated that they have sent a document requesting the government and the Compensation, Support and Resettlement Council of Quy Chau District to strengthen management and protection to prevent the re-encroachment on land already compensated and cleared by the State in the Ban Mong Reservoir Project (Document No. 118/BQLDA-KH2 on the management and protection of re-encroachment on land already compensated and cleared, Ban Mong Reservoir Project, Nghe An Province).
Official document No. 118/BQLDA-KH2 states: “The People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Decision No. 627/QD-UBND.NN, dated February 10, 2015, according to which the People's Committee of Quy Chau district was assigned the task of being the investor for the compensation, relocation, and resettlement (planning, design, and construction of resettlement areas), and land clearance in Quy Chau district for the Ban Mong Reservoir Project. To date, in Quy Chau district, compensation has been provided to 1,611 organizations, individuals, and households in 11 villages in Chau Binh commune and 7 villages in Chau Hoi commune affected by the project; and 1 village in Chau Nga commune (including 158 households requiring relocation); 147 decisions approving compensation, support, and resettlement plans have been issued with a total approved budget of 476.7 billion VND. 672 hectares of land have been recovered.” (of which, residential land is 7.4 hectares; agricultural land is 664.5 hectares).
However, recently in Quy Chau district, there have been instances of some households and individuals re-encroaching on land that had already been reclaimed and compensated for. For example, in Binh Quang and Bung Khe Tang villages, many households, after receiving compensation for land clearance as per regulations, have re-encroached on and used the land for planting acacia, sugarcane, corn, etc.
Therefore, the Project Management Board for Investment in Construction of Agricultural and Rural Development Projects in Nghe An Province respectfully requests the People's Committee of Quy Chau District; and the Compensation, Support and Resettlement Council of Quy Chau District to consider and implement solutions to prevent and promptly handle illegal re-encroachment within the area affected by the Ban Mong Reservoir Project that has already been compensated in the district, in order to avoid overlapping in compensation and land clearance work, minimize damage to people, and especially to ensure that the overall progress of the project is not affected.”
Representatives of the investor also acknowledged the project's slow progress, with delays in the implementation of resettlement areas, leading to difficulties for officials and residents in the project area, especially for a portion of households whose land was expropriated but has been slow to receive resettlement land. However, resolving these issues involves investment capital. Therefore, it is necessary to wait for the Government to allow adjustments to the total investment of the project. The representative stated: “The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is reporting and proposing to the Government to allow adjustments to the total investment of the Ban Mong Reservoir Project. Recently, the Government 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 has assigned relevant ministries and agencies 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 obstacles. Specifically, 382 graves in Ke Khoang village cemetery have not yet been compensated and relocated because a new cemetery has not been arranged. Compensation and land clearance for some households utilizing flat land along rivers and streams, and barren land (managed by various organizations) for production is also facing difficulties; the reason being that the maps used for compensation and land clearance only show a single plot of land.
There are two households residing in Binh 3 hamlet, Chau Binh commune, who received land and were granted land use right certificates with a total area of 38,557 square meters.2In the Binh Quang area, however, at the time of land allocation, these two households were commune officials, and the land allocation was determined to be incorrect according to the regulations in Decree 64/ND-CP (the District People's Committee conducted an inspection and concluded in Document No. 262/KL-UBND dated June 2, 2017). During the land clearance process on the ground, several households and individuals residing in Yen Hop commune, Quy Hop district, were stably engaged in agricultural production and cultivation on an area of 38,557 m².2Therefore, the District People's Committee prepared the dossier and only compensated for assets on the land according to the law. However, the households and individuals in Yen Hop commune did not agree with the compensation plan for assets on the land and requested compensation for the land itself before they would hand over the land.
Currently, land plot extracts and measurements for compensation and land clearance for some approved projects are delayed, and some projects have experienced intermittent compensation, affecting the notification of land acquisition and the progress of preparing compensation and land clearance documents; Capital is not allocated to the investor (Quỳ Châu district), and is not distributed according to regulations to allow the investor to independently plan the implementation; The construction progress of the resettlement area after auxiliary dam 1 depends on the progress of damming the auxiliary dam 1; The resettlement area at Slope 77 has an excessively steep slope (12%) and needs improvement; Land clearance and infrastructure investment have not yet been carried out in the production areas…
To address these difficulties and outstanding issues, the People's Committee of Quy Chau District requests the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to propose and recommend to the Central Government and relevant ministries and agencies to allocate investment capital for the project. It also requests the Provincial People's Committee to consider reclaiming a portion of the land belonging to Co Ba Forestry Farm (approximately 2 hectares) to create a new cemetery for Ke Khoang village. Furthermore, the People's Committee of Quy Chau District requests the Provincial Project Management Board to urgently hand over the cadastral survey and mapping documents for compensation and land clearance at elevation 76.4, so that the District People's Committee has a basis to approve the compensation and land clearance plan according to regulations; to allocate separate funding for the investor in Quy Chau District to proactively implement and disburse funds; to accelerate the construction progress of the auxiliary dam 1 to provide the district with land for the construction of the resettlement area after auxiliary dam 1; and to allow the adjustment of the resettlement project at slope 77 according to the construction plan, reducing the slope of the ground from 12% to 3%. allowing for land clearance and infrastructure construction in production areas…
Referring to the difficulties, shortcomings, and obstacles in the Ban Mong Reservoir Project, the Secretary of the Quy Chau District Party Committee, Mr. Vuong Quang Minh, also stated: “Over the past time, there have been many meetings between National Assembly representatives and voters in Quy Chau district. And each time, the district has proposed and petitioned on this issue to the National Assembly representatives. To be frank, the project has dragged on for more than 10 years, so the officials and people of Quy Chau district are extremely tired. Most recently, before the 11th session of the Provincial People's Council, with the responsibility of a Provincial People's Council representative, I also petitioned the province and the Central Government that there needs to be a definitive solution for the Ban Mong Reservoir Project. Because even though this issue has been petitioned many times, there is still no solution, so we must continue to petition…”