Provincial Party Secretary receives citizens at regular session in May

Also attending were comrades: Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; comrades of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee: Le Duc Cuong - Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Committee; Bui Thanh An - Chairman of the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Committee; Hoang Nghia Hieu - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of relevant departments, agencies and localities.

Overview of the citizen reception session. Photo: Thanh Duy

Regarding the Export Garment Factory Project of Mareep Company Limited in Zone C, Tho Loc Industrial Park, Southeast Economic Zone, Mr. Phan Dang Thien, representing 30 households in Dien Thinh Commune, Dien Chau District, reported that the land acquisition process of Dien Thinh Commune People's Committee and Dien Chau District People's Committee was incorrect, not public, not transparent, and did not seek people's opinions.

Mr. Thien also reported that the People's Committee of Dien Chau district used measures that were not in accordance with the provisions of the law to enforce and reclaim land, causing resentment among the people; the process of building the factory in the middle of a peanut field without a road for the people; and illegally reclaimed land outside the project to build a road to the factory.

Mr. Phan Dang Thien, representing 30 households in Dien Thinh commune, Dien Chau district, spoke. Photo: Thanh Duy

Citizens also said that the selection of an inappropriate project location affects people's lives, activities and production; at the same time, they recommended that there should be a satisfactory compensation and support policy to ensure people's lives when their land is recovered.

The province and district have organized many dialogues with citizens regarding their reflections and recommendations regarding the project, but citizens still do not agree with the results of the authorities' handling.

The opinions of relevant localities and sectors at the meeting also showed that the licensing of the project is consistent with the planning and current land use status of the planning. The compensation and support policy for site clearance when reclaiming agricultural land is implemented by the People's Committee of Dien Chau district in accordance with current regulations.

Regarding some recommendations from the people related to support when the State reclaims land, the representative of the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board said: Currently, the investor has committed to giving priority to using local labor.

Comrade Tang Van Luyen - Chairman of Dien Chau District People's Committee spoke at the citizen reception session. Photo: Thanh Duy

Analyzing the citizens' reflections and recommendations, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Thong stated that this was a complaint from the people, focusing on two contents: The planning of converting agricultural land into industrial land and compensation prices, support for site clearance. Therefore, to resolve the case, it is necessary to start from the above two contents, in which, for planning work, it is best to propagate and explain so that people understand that this is a major policy on industrialization in the area.

Regarding the compensation and site clearance plan, the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee requested that the People's Committee of Dien Chau district explain to the people. If the people do not agree, they should proceed to resolve complaints according to their authority regarding land acquisition and site clearance.

Comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee spoke about the case of citizen Phan Dang Thien's complaint. Photo: Thanh Duy

Concluding this content, discussing with citizens, Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy shared that allocating agricultural land to industrial development is the right direction to develop the province and expressed his hope that people will support it.

Going into details of citizens' complaints, emphasizing that the work must be resolved based on legal regulations with clear procedures, the head of the Provincial Party Committee hopes that citizens will support the resolution according to the complaint handling procedures.

Accordingly, the People's Committee of Dien Chau district needs to establish a first-time settlement team and issue a decision to specifically respond to citizens. If citizens do not agree with the settlement results of the People's Committee of Dien Chau district and have higher-level opinions, the Provincial People's Committee will direct the Provincial Inspectorate to resolve the second complaint regarding the contents of the land acquisition process, enforcement, etc. related to the project.

Mr. To Anh Phuong - Director of Kieu Phuong Company Ltd. made a speech. Photo: Thanh Duy

Regarding the reflection on the inappropriate selection of the project location, the Provincial Party Secretary requested the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board to focus on explaining, propagating, and clarifying to the people the planning work of the factory location so that the people can support it; at the same time, review the process of collecting opinions from districts, cities, towns, and directly from the people during the planning process.

Discussing the compensation and site clearance support policy for the project, comrade Thai Thanh Quy said that the province has applied the maximum level according to the resolution of the Provincial People's Council and hopes that citizens will agree and share in the province's conditions; along with that, the head of the Provincial Party Committee supports, the investor of the above project will provide additional support to affected people on the basis of the enterprise's voluntary basis as informed at the meeting.

Comrade Phan Van Giap - Chairman of Tan Ky District People's Committee spoke at the meeting. Photo: Thanh Duy

Next, Mr. To Anh Phuong - Director of Kieu Phuong Company Ltd., Block 5, Tan Ky town, Tan Ky district reported that the company had been encroached by more than 30 households in Quang Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district for more than 15 years with an area of ​​about 230 hectares in Nghia Dung commune, Tan Ky district.

Although the People's Committees of Yen Thanh and Tan Ky districts, Nghe An province have issued many directive documents and held many conferences requesting the encroaching households to return the land to the company, there have been no results so far.

At the meeting, opinions from relevant parties showed that currently, there are about 80 households of Quang Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) encroaching on nearly 1,500 hectares of land within the administrative boundary of Nghia Dung commune, Tan Ky district. Of which, more than 33 households encroached on 230 hectares of forest land of Kieu Phuong Company Limited.

Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee spoke about the proposed solution to the land encroachment case in Nghia Dung commune, Tan Ky district. Photo: Thanh Duy

Therefore, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Nghia Hieu said that the Provincial People's Committee needs to establish an interdisciplinary team to comprehensively evaluate this entire case, including a detailed assessment of each plot of land, showing the origin of land use of 80 households to resolve the issue as a whole, including the encroached area of ​​Kieu Phuong Company Limited.

Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Thong assessed the nature of the problem as an economic conflict between businesses and people, thus highly agreeing with the opinion of Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Nghia Hieu that it is necessary to review and handle the case as a whole, then deal with the specific matters of the business; at the same time, he noted that the handling process must ensure both the interests of businesses and the livelihoods of the people.

Concluding this content, the Provincial Party Secretary requested the Chairman of Tan Ky District People's Committee to commit not to let the land area of ​​Nghia Dung commune continue to be encroached; the Chairman of Yen Thanh People's Committee to propagate and educate citizens not to continue encroaching on Nghia Dung commune's land.

Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee delivered the concluding speech. Photo: Thanh Duy

Realizing that a comprehensive solution was needed, Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy agreed to propose that the Provincial People's Committee establish a working group headed by a Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, with leaders of the Departments of Home Affairs, Natural Resources and Environment as deputy heads, together with the districts to conduct a comprehensive review of the current and previous status, and how to handle the entire area of ​​encroached land in Nghia Dung commune, not just the encroached area of ​​Kieu Phuong Company Limited.

Then report to the Provincial People's Committee to resolve the matter, ensure the State's management as well as the people's livelihood, associated with the responsibility of the head of the local government, to avoid the recurrence of encroachment. Based on the overall review, the specific case of Kieu Phuong Company Limited will be handled.