Pieng Luong resettlement project is unfinished.

Many households are located in the landslide area but have not been evacuated yet. Photo: Huong Thu

Ms. Luong Thi Minh, Tien Thanh village shared: "When the project was implemented, my family was very excited, but now the resettlement area is just a vacant lot, while landslides are almost reaching our house. Another rainy and flood season is coming, we are even more worried."

Sharing the same mentality as Ms. Minh's family, Mr. Luong Van Hung's family has also lived with the fear of landslides for the past 10 years. When the resettlement area had only a few unfinished items, it has now seriously degraded, and in many places people have replanted acacia trees, about to harvest the second crop. The villagers have repeatedly petitioned the authorities but have not been resolved.

The unused water tank built in the resettlement area has been damaged. Photo: Huong Thu

The concentrated resettlement project in Pieng Luong village, Chau Thanh commune serves 50 households with 217 people, with a total investment capital of 18,680 million VND, implemented since 2009.

Up to now, the construction unit has only been able to carry out construction and installation work such as leveling the resettlement area, building roads into the resettlement area, building a self-flowing water system, building power lines and a 100 KVA transformer station, and internal traffic roads, with a total construction and installation value of nearly 7 billion 788 million VND.

It is known that to complete the concentrated settlement project in Pieng Luong village, it is necessary to continue investing 10,030 million VND to carry out unfinished items, support house building and support production development for households.

However, due to lack of funding, all projects have been stopped since 2014, many projects such as roads to resettlement areas, water tanks... are seriously degraded. The area of ​​about 6 hectares is used for buffaloes and grazing land.

Unfinished resettlement project area. Photo: Huong Thu

Talking to us, Mr. Ha Van Thanh - Vice Chairman of Chau Thanh Commune People's Committee said: The Pieng Luong resettlement project has been implemented for too long, 30 households of Tien Thanh village have drawn lots to receive new housing but until now they still have to live in an area at risk of landslides.

Previously, at the 4th session of the 14th National Assembly, the issue of slow disbursement of the unfinished Pieng Luong project was also raised. On April 10, the Office of the National Assembly Deputies of Nghe An province issued document No. 135 in response to the petition of voters of Quy Hop district, including the petition of voters of Chau Thanh commune on this issue.

Accordingly, to continue implementing the policy of supporting migration for settlement, the Government issued Decision No. 2085 QD-TTg dated October 31, 2016 of the Prime Minister approving the specific policy of supporting and developing the socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2017 - 2020. The Ethnic Committee has guided and directed the People's Committees of districts in general and Quy Hop district in particular to review the needs of projects submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for approval, including submitting a capital level for the Pieng Luong project, Chau Thanh commune of 10,030 million VND to continue investing in 8 contents including unfinished infrastructure items.

However, up to now (May 2018), the project has not yet received additional capital for construction and people are still waiting, while the rainy season is coming.