Speaker of the National Assembly: 'We must not let people suffer after donating land'

The Speaker of the National Assembly emphasized that the people have sacrificed their homes, fields, and land to serve hydropower projects, so they should not be left to suffer after donating their land.

As part of her working visit to the northern mountainous provinces, today (March 11), National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and the delegation held a meeting with the leaders of Nam Nhun district, Lai Chau province.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan speaks during a working session with leaders of Nam Nhun district, Lai Chau province.

Nam Nhun is a border district located in the Northwest of Lai Chau province, newly separated in 2012. The district has a favorable geographical location, natural conditions, land, climate, and human resources for the development of agriculture and forestry.

The high density of rivers and streams and large river basins create favorable conditions for the development of small and medium-sized hydropower; there is potential for exploiting construction materials, such as quarries of stone, black stone, coal, sand and gravel; and areas for producing raw materials for rattan and bamboo weaving…

The district has 10 hydropower projects with a total designed capacity of approximately 1400 MW. Due to the presence of hydropower, resettlement work linked to the construction of new rural areas has been a priority for the district leadership. To date, Nam Nhun district has completed the resettlement and stabilization of 829 households in the Lai Chau hydropower resettlement area.

Currently, the district is continuing to address and implement policies to ensure the livelihoods of 738 households subject to resettlement due to the Son La hydropower project.

In Nam Nhun District, 100% of communes have roads leading to their centers, and 70% of villages have convenient motorbike access; all 11 communes and towns have access to the national power grid, and 70% of households use electricity; the irrigation and water supply systems have been invested in, maintained, and repaired. To date, the district has 7 schools that meet national standards.

Nam Nhun is a poor district far from the provincial center, with 9 out of 10 communes classified as extremely disadvantaged; it has a low economic and social starting point; complex and fragmented terrain; inconvenient transportation; a long border with only one border guard post; undeveloped border patrol roads; limited agricultural land; and outdated farming practices.

The district has two ethnic groups that are particularly disadvantaged and receive preferential policies from the State: the Cong ethnic group and the other ethnic group.The problem is that some outdated customs and traditions among ethnic minority groups have not been eradicated. The level of education is low and uneven, the poverty rate is high, and some people have not yet strived to overcome poverty on their own.

The Speaker of the National Assembly presented a commemorative photograph to Nam Nhun district.

Faced with these difficulties, the Secretary of the Nam Nhun District Party Committee, Le Duc Duc, requested the Chairman of the National Assembly and the delegation to provide support in terms of funding for the development of rural transportation systems, the national power grid to villages; the road from the district to Hua Bum commune; the road west of the Da River (Nam Nga-Nam Cha-Nam Nhun town); and preferential mechanisms to encourage and attract investors to exploit the potential and advantages of agriculture and forestry in the district.

Speaking at the working session, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan highly appreciated the achievements of Nam Nhun, especially the fact that 30% of its communes have met the standards of new rural areas, despite being a newly established district facing many difficulties and located in a remote area.

Nam Nhun has ensured food security with an average food supply of 390.6 kg per person per year. However, to develop the economy, each household needs to develop livestock farming, as Lai Chau has advantages in climate, soil, and grasslands.

Regarding the resettlement policy for the Lai Chau hydropower project, the Chairman of the National Assembly emphasized that the Party, the State, and the National Assembly are very concerned about this issue to help the people stabilize their lives and develop production.

"Resettlement for the Son La and Lai Chau hydropower projects is part of the investment capital allocated for resettlement purposes, ensuring the livelihoods of the people. The people have sacrificed their homes, fields, and land to serve the hydropower projects. Therefore, resettlement in Lai Chau and Son La must be prioritized. At the National Assembly forum, delegates also stated that the people should not be left to suffer after donating their land," the National Assembly Chairman emphasized.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan planted a commemorative tree at the Lai Chau Hydropower Plant.

The Chairman of the National Assembly also advised the leaders of Nam Nhun district in particular and the leaders of Lai Chau province in general that while they have successfully "stored water," they need to focus on "generating water" by protecting and developing upstream forests. He urged relevant agencies to study policy changes to encourage people to protect and develop forests.

The Speaker of the National Assembly emphasized that if there are still differing opinions on this issue, priority should be given to implementing the project in some upstream provinces such as the Central Highlands and Northwest regions. This is because forests are crucial for ensuring water security not only for hydropower and local areas, but also for downstream regions. Therefore, when allocating resources, the National Assembly and its agencies will pay attention to localities that are currently undertaking border security and water security tasks.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan also stated that Nam Nhun must focus on improving its administrative apparatus and training local human resources to ensure a team of capable officials who can build upon the achievements already made and continue to develop Nam Nhun. Maintaining a stable environment in terms of political security and ensuring social order and safety for the people to live and work is a very important factor in a remote area like Nam Nhun.

To achieve this, Nam Nhun must do a good job of building a clean and strong political system and strengthening the Party. If the entire political system and government get involved, everything from production to living standards and border security will be ensured.

The Chairman of the National Assembly stated that if the administrative apparatus is weak and its capacity is poor, then no matter how many roads or houses are built, the difficulties and challenges will not be overcome, and all the achievements of Nam Nhun will be difficult to maintain. Therefore, Nam Nhun needs to strengthen its organizational structure and pay attention to local human resources. Special priority should be given to training ethnic minority people so that they can disseminate policies and laws to the people.

"Currently, there are no poor people, but if any citizen or village goes hungry, the Party Secretary and the Chairman of the People's Committee of this district must first take responsibility. The leaders of Nam Nhun district, Lai Chau province, need to be closely involved with the grassroots, understand the situation of the people, and know which households are facing food shortages... Only then can we maintain political security and social order," the Chairman of the National Assembly instructed.

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan speaks with workers at the Lai Chau Hydropower Plant.

Earlier that morning, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and her delegation visited the Lai Chau Hydropower Plant. Speaking with the plant's officials, workers, and employees, the Chairwoman emphasized the importance of maintaining electricity security, stressing that industrialization and modernization are impossible without electricity.

Exploiting hydropower potential is a very important measure. The Chairman of the National Assembly wished the workers at the plant to operate and exploit the facility safely and efficiently, to quickly recoup their investment, and to contribute to ensuring energy security for the country, as well as contributing to the local budget.

According to VOV