Expedite the resettlement process for the Hua Na Hydropower Project.
According to the plan, by May 2012, all 14 villages in Dong Van and Thong Thu communes, Que Phong district (Nghe An province), located in the reservoir area of the Hua Na hydroelectric power plant, had to be relocated to 16 resettlement areas for the hydroelectric power plant's water storage. However, to date, only 155 out of 1,350 households have moved to the resettlement areas.
(Baonghean.vn)According to the plan, by May 2012, all 14 villages in Dong Van and Thong Thu communes, Que Phong district (Nghe An province), located in the reservoir area of the Hua Na hydroelectric power plant, had to be relocated to 16 resettlement areas for the hydroelectric power plant's water storage. However, to date, only 155 out of 1,350 households have moved to the resettlement areas.
One of the reasons for the slow resettlement is the difficulty in finalizing the land acquisition plan and the compensation and support plan for people in the 14 villages in the reservoir area. Mr. Truong Minh Cuong, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee and Chairman of the Compensation and Resettlement Council for the Hua Na Hydropower Plant, said: Currently, the Compensation Council has completed the valuation for 13 out of 14 villages in the reservoir area and held public meetings to present the compensation plan for 11 out of 13 villages. However, most people believe that the compensation for houses, structures, trees, and crops is too low, so they do not agree to sign the compensation plan.
Only the Piềng Cu resettlement area has been put into use so far.
Regarding this issue, Mr. Phan Trong Phu, Director of Hua Na Hydropower Joint Stock Company, representing the investor, proposed revising the detailed schedule for Hua Na Hydropower to June 15, 2012, before water impoundment begins. Meanwhile, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hua Na Hydropower Company, stated: “The company is ready to compensate families who separate from their households, if they meet the eligibility criteria, in order to expedite the compensation process.” However, Mr. Hung also noted that officials involved in land clearance still do not fully understand the aspirations and wishes of the people, leading to a situation where residents do not fully grasp the relocation policy.
Furthermore, several issues remain that lead to people's reluctance to move to the new resettlement areas, such as the fact that people have not yet been allocated land for production in the new locations; the construction of resettlement areas is progressing too slowly; and damaged electricity and water infrastructure at the Piêng Cu resettlement site has not been repaired, affecting the morale of people when relocating to other resettlement sites.
With the aim of expediting the compensation process and relocating people to resettlement areas according to the set plan, the People's Committee of Que Phong district requests the province to review and adjust the compensation price list and Decision No. 2327/QD-UBND dated June 1, 2009 of the Provincial People's Committee to reflect current price fluctuations.
To expedite the relocation of residents from the reservoir area, Mr. Le Xuan Dai, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, requested that the District People's Committee, the investor, and all levels and sectors accelerate the construction of resettlement areas. Simultaneously, they should strengthen propaganda and mobilization efforts to encourage people to relocate, ensuring that land clearance is completed in accordance with the construction schedule, aiming for the basic completion of resettlement areas by April 2012…
The Hua Na hydroelectric project is a large-scale undertaking, impacting over 1,000 households with more than 5,000 people (nearly 10% of the population of Que Phong district). The lives of so many people will inevitably experience temporary disruption as they relocate. Therefore, seamless coordination among all relevant parties will help the people stabilize their lives as soon as possible.
Nguyen Thanh Duy
