A road section of over 1km remains unfinished in Quynh Luu for 10 years.

Rural roads, costing billions of dong.

In early 2014, when the road connecting Hamlet 11 and Hamlet 12 of Quynh Hung commune deteriorated and became muddy, while it was a main route frequently used by the people, especially students going to school, the People's Committee of Quynh Hung commune submitted a proposal and received permission from the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district to prepare an economic and technical report for upgrading and improving this road.

After a period of completing the documentation, on June 16, 2014, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu District issued Decision No. 1185/QD-UBND approving the economic-technical report for the upgrading and renovation of rural roads in Quynh Hung Commune. The total length of the project is 1,334.51m (over 1.3km), divided into two sections. Section 1 is 334.51m long with a road width of 5-6m; Section 2 is 1,000m long with a road width of 4.5-7.5m. In addition, the sections are designed with a system of culverts, drainage ditches, and slope reinforcement.

The total investment for the project is 4,722,501,000 VND, of which construction costs are 4,079,883,000 VND. The People's Committee of Quynh Hung commune was subsequently assigned to directly manage the project. The implementation period is 12 months from the date of commencement.

However, due to the prolonged delay in commencing construction, on November 14, 2018, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu District had to issue Decision No. 2271/QD-UBND approving the adjustment of the economic and technical report and the contractor selection plan for the aforementioned project.

According to this decision, although the total estimated value remains unchanged at VND 4,722,501,000, the construction costs have been adjusted downwards, from VND 4,079,883,000 to VND 3,904,100,000. In addition, the project management has been changed from the original direct management by the investor to the hiring of a project management consultant.

According to Decision 2271, this project has been allocated 2.4 billion VND in capital as part of the 2018 infrastructure investment plan of the People's Committee of Quynh Hung commune. The remaining amount is committed to being raised by the People's Committee of Quynh Hung commune through the commune's budget, contributions from the beneficiary population, and other legitimate sources of funding within two years (2019 and 2020).

Furthermore, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu District also requires the investor to mobilize capital sources in accordance with the project's investment policy, the decision on the allocation of construction investment expenditure plans, and the commitment to mobilize approved construction capital to pay for completed work to the contractor and organize the construction of the project ensuring quality, on schedule, and in accordance with the approved contractor selection plan.

Following a bidding process conducted according to regulations, Hung Giang Construction and Development Investment Joint Stock Company (headquartered in Quynh Hung commune) won the bid to implement this project with a total contract value of VND 4,053,374,000. Of this, construction costs amounted to VND 3,879,533,000. The project officially commenced in 2018.

Unfinished due to lack of funding.

Needless to say, the residents of hamlets 11 and 12 in Quynh Hung commune were overjoyed when the "troublesome" road they had been using for so long finally began construction. However, their joy was short-lived, as the project, though unfinished, had to be halted shortly after its commencement.

Some locals said that the unfinished construction has greatly affected people's travel, especially for schoolchildren during the rainy season. Recently, residents even recorded images of unsafe conditions as schoolchildren had to travel on a flooded road due to heavy rains following Typhoon No. 3 (Typhoon Yagi).

In particular, people are worried about whether this project can be completed in the near future, given the merger of the three communes of Quỳnh Hưng, Quỳnh Bá, and Quỳnh Ngọc.

Furthermore, according to our observations, on Route 2, which starts at Quynh Hung Primary School and ends at Dong Trun intersection (intersecting with the craft village road leading to Hamlet 12), there is an open ditch approximately 50 meters long right next to the wall of Quynh Hung Primary School. Because the road is under construction, the ditch is also incomplete. Therefore, students traveling on this section of road pose a potential risk of accidents.

Mr. Bui Van Nang, Director of Hung Giang Investment Construction and Development Joint Stock Company - the contractor for this project - said: "To date, only about 60% of the project has been completed, including the foundation and drainage system. However, due to insufficient funding from the investor, the project remains unfinished." Mr. Nang added that if sufficient funding were provided, the project could be completed within a month.

Clearly, the responsibility for allocating funds rests with the investor, a responsibility also assigned by the People's Committee of Quynh Luu District in the Decision approving the adjustment of the economic-technical report. In particular, there was a commitment to mobilize the commune's budget and contributions from the people in the beneficiary area within two years (2019 and 2020). However, this commitment was not fulfilled.

Mr. Tran Binh Trong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Hung commune, said: "The lack of funding has caused delays in the project's progress, and this is partly the responsibility of the local authorities." Mr. Trong explained that due to economic difficulties in recent years, the local government's revenue has been focused on investing in important infrastructure, especially building enough classrooms to serve the education of children in the area, so funding has not been allocated in time to complete the project.

Mr. Trong added that, in the near future, when revenue from land auctions becomes available, the remaining funds will be allocated to complete the project as soon as possible.

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On August 28, 2024, the People's Committee of Quynh Luu District issued Decision No. 2825/QD-UBND approving the auction results for 23 residential land plots in Quynh Hung commune for 23 households and individuals, with a total amount of VND 43,113,500,000. These are the same 23 land plots whose auction results were canceled more than a year ago by the People's Committee of Quynh Luu District because the winning bidder was Mr. Nguyen Van Trong, the younger brother of Mr. Nguyen Van Quy - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Luu District (the person who signed the decision approving the starting price)..