Ensuring harmony of land benefits for resettled people

On the morning of September 12, the monitoring delegation of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation led by Mr. Tran Van Mao - Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation had a working session with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment on the implementation of the law in the activities of receiving citizens, handling complaints and denunciations related to land acquisition and compensation for site clearance of investment projects in the province. Photo: Thanh Le

It is recorded that, in the past 2.5 years, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment received 137 people, including 75 complaints and denunciations (KNTC), reflecting on the content of land recovery and compensation for site clearance; responded to 54 times, including 15 reflections on the content of land recovery and compensation for site clearance via hotline and email.

The Department received 670 petitions, including 216 complaints about land acquisition and compensation for site clearance. The number of cases assigned by the Provincial People's Committee for inspection, verification and settlement was 90/216 cases (of the 90 cases, there were 10 complaints that were consulted in 2015 and the Provincial People's Committee issued a second decision to resolve the complaints in 2016).

126/126 citizen petitions were processed by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment; the Provincial People's Committee was advised to resolve 100% of assigned cases.

Deputy Chief of Office of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Xuan Bay requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to soon have the results of measurements and extracts so that localities can carry out compensation work for land acquisition and clearance for the project to upgrade and expand National Highway 1A. Photo: Thanh Le

Regarding the settlement of complaints, out of 41 petitions received by the Department, there were 21 petitions on land recovery and compensation for site clearance (but not under the jurisdiction of the Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment). The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has forwarded these petitions to the Chairmen of the People's Committees at the district and commune levels.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Ho Xuan Bay requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to soon have the results of measurements and extracts so that localities can carry out compensation work for land acquisition and clearance for the project to upgrade and expand National Highway 1A.

“During the working process, officials should increase explanations of the law so that citizens are aware of whether their complaints are right or wrong to reduce citizens' frustration and reduce petitions,” Mr. Bay said.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Nguyen Ngoc Nguyen suggested that the Department of Natural Resources and Environment should continue to coordinate with relevant departments, branches and sectors, and advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue a compensation price framework to ensure harmony and create consensus among the people.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Trang - Director of the Provincial Judgment Enforcement Department reflected on a number of difficulties and inadequacies in compensation work for site clearance in localities and facilities.

“The Department of Natural Resources and Environment needs to clarify solutions for land price management, the situation of land price differences, especially land compensation prices, compensation for people and land prices after investors divide and sell plots of land. The large land price difference causing public outrage is the underlying cause of many complaints and petitions,” said Ms. Trang.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thu Trang - Director of the Provincial Civil Judgment Enforcement Department spoke at the meeting. Photo: Thanh Le

“The most prominent issue that people are concerned about is the price of resettlement land between the place of departure and the place of destination. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue a Decision amending Decision No. 58/2015/QD-UBNDon compensation, support and resettlement when the State acquires land in Nghe An province (Decision issued on September 10, 2018)"To ensure land prices, compensation policies for land acquisition and clearance are clearer and more specific, so that land prices at departure and destination are equal to market prices" - Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said.

Regarding the compensation and site clearance team at the district level, the Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment affirmed that establishing a new organization is very difficult. Localities can only perform this task concurrently.

Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Thai Van Nong explains the contents of the monitoring delegation's concerns. Photo: Thanh Le

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Tran Van Mao acknowledged and highly appreciated the work of receiving citizens and handling complaints and petitions of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment related to land acquisition and compensation.

The Deputy Head of the Provincial Delegation of National Assembly Deputies requested the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to continue to do a better job of advising the Provincial People's Committee on legal documents, mechanisms and policies on land, and handling petitions and complaints.

Perform well the leadership function for affiliated units and localities on land to do a good job of handling petitions; strengthen the dissemination of land laws;

The Department coordinates with all levels and sectors to carry out well the procedures on land and site clearance to implement projects in the area openly and transparently; and to do a better job in handling complaints and petitions on site clearance compensation.