Irregularities in the granting of permits for sand and gravel mining in Nghia Dan.

The Nghe An online newspaper published an article on June 9, 2023."The licensing of sand and gravel mining on agricultural land in Nghia Dan needs clarification."This reflects the fact that recently, residents of Tan Phu hamlet, Nghia Hung commune, have collectively gathered at the sand and gravel mining area of ​​Viet Hung Investment Construction Trading Joint Stock Company to obstruct mining activities.

Residents of Tan Phu hamlet protested against the fact that Viet Hung Investment Construction Trading Joint Stock Company had been granted a mining license without compensating or clearing the land. (Photo: Tien Dong)

The reason given by the residents of Tan Phu hamlet is that sand and gravel mining is causing riverbank erosion and damage to agricultural land, affecting the lives and production of the people. The residents also protested the Provincial People's Committee's decision to grant mining permits and land leases to Viet Hung Investment Construction Trading Joint Stock Company.

They also argued that when granting mining licenses and leasing land, the local authorities and investors did not follow the proper compensation procedures. The residents themselves have petitioned many times, but the issue remains unresolved.

The area along the Hieu River, near the mining site, has shown signs of erosion. Photo: Tien Dong

Upon further investigation, we learned that when processing the sand and gravel mining permit application for Viet Hung Investment Construction Trading Joint Stock Company on July 2, 2018, the People's Committee of Nghia Hung commune issued Official Letter No. 27/UBND-DC confirming the area, land type, and compensation for land clearance for the project in Nghia Hung commune. Accordingly, the People's Committee of Nghia Hung commune confirmed an area of ​​44,242.3 square meters.²The land that Viet Hung Investment Construction Trading Joint Stock Company is proposing to lease is land managed by the People's Committee of the commune, free of trees, crops, and assets, requiring no compensation for land clearance, and free from disputes or encroachment.

Based on that confirmation from the People's Committee of Nghia Hung commune, the People's Committee of Nghia Dan district submitted a proposal to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to advise on the implementation of the procedure for Viet Hung Investment Construction Trading Joint Stock Company to lease 44,242.3m².²land.

Equipment for extracting sand and gravel in the licensed area. Photo: Tien Dong

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Manh, head of Tan Phu hamlet, the confirmation from the Nghia Hung Commune People's Committee at that time was inaccurate. The alluvial land where residents are cultivating crops has been in stable production since 2012. Before that, only a few households cultivated the land; later, the local authorities reclaimed it and distributed it to the residents of Tan Phu hamlet for cultivation. Furthermore, the claim that "there are no trees, crops, or assets on the land" is completely illogical, as no one would be foolish enough to leave such a fertile alluvial area, suitable for agricultural production, lying fallow. Moreover, leaving land fallow goes against government policy.

The People's Committee of Nghia Dan District, after receiving a petition from the people, reviewed the situation and found that at the time the People's Committee of Nghia Hung Commune confirmed the land (in 2018), there were approximately 35,623.4 square meters.²Land used for annual crop cultivation is managed by the People's Committee of Nghia Hung commune, and some households and individuals are currently using the land to grow annual crops.

In the licensed mining area, there are more than 3.5 hectares of agricultural land belonging to local residents that have not yet been compensated. The photo shows equipment for extracting sand and gravel at the mine site. Photo: Tien Dong

When asked about this issue, Mr. Dinh The Hien, Chairman of the Nghia Hung Commune People's Committee, stated that at the time of verifying the land use status to process the permit for Viet Hung Investment Construction Trading Joint Stock Company to exploit sand and gravel mines and lease land, he was not yet the Chairman and therefore did not have the information. Mr. Hien also confirmed that the agricultural land cultivated by local people in this area is approximately 3.5 hectares (i.e., 35,000 square meters).²), has not yet been compensated.

Clearly, the people's complaints that Viet Hung Investment Construction Trading Joint Stock Company has not compensated for land clearance in the area licensed for sand and mineral mining are well-founded.

And the reason why the People's Committee of Nghia Hung commune in 2018 made false statements about the land use status needs to be verified and clarified.