Trang Ke Industrial Cluster Project: Problems that need to be resolved

(Baonghean) - Trang Ke Industrial Park was planned and implemented based on the wishes of the majority of people and officials of My Thanh commune (Yen Thanh), but when the project began construction, it encountered resistance from some households in Hamlet 12, My Thanh commune.

» Trang Ke Industrial Cluster Project (Yen Thanh): Bringing industry to the 'rice homeland'

People's concerns

After completing the required procedures, in September 2017, the People's Committee of Yen Thanh district held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Trang Ke Industrial Cluster (CCN) infrastructure project. However, the groundbreaking ceremony did not go smoothly when some households living in Hamlet 12 protested and obstructed the construction.

Although the leaders of Yen Thanh district have directly come to mobilize, explain and ask the people to create favorable conditions for the construction unit to implement the project; organizations and unions have organized many meetings, directly come down many times to mobilize, propagate and explain, but up to now, some households still do not agree.

People are concerned that if they relocate, they will lose the benefits of the forestry land where trees are being planted. Photo: D.C.

According to the investigation, the reasons given by the households who did not agree mainly revolved around the following issues: environmental pollution, not wanting to move to a new place because they were afraid of disrupting their lives. Those who opposed the project also said that this was a project set up by a group of people, who built the road and divided the land into plots to share the money; the planning was not suitable, and the opinions of the people were not consulted before breaking ground...

In addition, the previous Resolution of the Commune Party Congress did not include the South (area B of the project) and the residential area from the agricultural land bordering hamlet 13a down to the last tail (in the North of area A) in the current planning.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Cong Thin - Deputy Secretary of the Party Cell of Hamlet 12 said: Some households do not agree because they think the planning of the resettlement area, the area, and the support funding are not clear. Besides, the project planning is located near a residential area.

“Many people in Hamlet 12 have income from forestry land and residential land as a reserve for their children. If they leave now, they will not have land to build houses for their children when they get married and live on their own. They are afraid that this project is not feasible and is a waste of the people's land resources,” Mr. Thin added.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Du - Secretary of the Party Cell of Hamlet 12 said: The State's policy towards industrialization and modernization is correct, but the important thing is how to do it. The Resolution of the Party Committee of My Thanh commune through many terms has included the content of building industrial parks but in general terms. In many meetings, people did not agree and had many concerns, while the compensation work had not been completed, the machinery was brought to break ground, so people were upset. If at that time people's opinions had been sought, this situation would not have happened now.

Affirming that the policy of building industrial parks was accepted by himself in many meetings, Mr. Du said that because it was not clear, it was not yet popularized to the people (?!). Moreover, Mr. Du himself was also concerned that other places had land and were inviting businesses but they had not yet come, while here, the people were living there, so he was afraid that it would be difficult to implement, causing more doubts about the effectiveness of the project.

Continuing the above opinion, Mr. Thin added that people are worried that today this factory will come in and take a corner, tomorrow another factory will come in and take a corner, people will have their land confiscated many times, causing compensation money to be divided. If the land is confiscated and cleared synchronously, people will agree more, but if a part is confiscated and then left there, people will not feel secure.

For the future of My Thanh children

In response to the concerns of the people, Yen Thanh district has organized many meetings, issued many notices and conclusions to answer and resolve the questions and recommendations of the households. In addition, the district has also mobilized many mass organizations and officials to directly meet with each party member and resident to listen, explain, and persuade them to agree and not hinder the implementation of the project. However, these efforts have not yet brought about positive results.

In that situation, on November 4, 2017, the Party Committee of My Thanh Commune organized a thematic conference to discuss the construction of Trang Ke Industrial Park. At the conference, many opinions agreed that the policy of building Trang Ke Industrial Park was correct and had been included in the Resolution of the Party Congress of My Thanh Commune through many terms.

Yen Thanh district, My Thanh commune has organized many dialogues, meetings with households and party members to promote the Trang Ke industrial cluster project.

Mr. Nguyen Van Nam - Chairman of the Commune Farmers' Association said that before the Commune Party Congresses, the My Thanh Commune Party Committee always invited veteran cadres and party members to contribute their opinions to the political report. At that time, veteran comrades as well as all members of the My Thanh Commune Party Committee and the people of Hamlet 12 all strongly supported the development of the industrial park. Therefore, we must do it, otherwise we will be guilty towards the people, especially the younger generation.

Regarding the concerns of some households, Mr. Nam said that it was due to the loose management of forestry land in the past, allowing people to arbitrarily level, expand their gardens, and illegally build houses on forestry land and garden land. People are afraid that if they have to move to a resettlement area near National Highway 7A, they will no longer have the same large land as before. Such thinking is for personal gain, not for the common good, for future generations.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dinh - former Chairman of the People's Committee of My Thanh commune said: Currently, the whole commune has 742/3,300 workers, mainly young people who have to leave their hometowns, go to industrial parks in the southern provinces to work as workers. In particular, some children of the commune have finished university and then have to leave their hometowns to find jobs. Many people go to work and then get married, due to difficult conditions, they have to send their children back to their grandparents to raise, making life even more difficult.

“The construction of Trang Ke Industrial Park, attracting factories and enterprises will solve many jobs. We must see that to agree for the future of our children, not anyone else,” Mr. Dinh said, adding that the construction of Trang Ke Industrial Park in Hamlet 12 is correct because of its location near National Highway 7A, it cannot be placed in a remote area, if placed there, how can it attract investors.

Representing the young generation, Mr. Pham Cong Su - Secretary of the Youth Union of My Thanh commune said: The youth in the commune are very interested in the issue of building Trang Ke Industrial Park. Currently, children of My Thanh commune have to go to work in the South, even to Laos. Young people go to work far from home, living in a foreign land, lacking family care, leading to some having a loose lifestyle and getting involved in social evils.

Many people do not carefully study the customs of each region when getting married, so they have to divorce, and there are currently more than 50 cases of young people having to send their grandchildren to their grandparents to raise, causing more burdens. “Where there is no agreement, we will have a dialogue. We need to be responsible for the future young generation. For example, in factories in Yen Thanh, Quang Son, Da Son (Do Luong) towns, many young people come to work as workers, although the income is lower than in the South, but they are close to home, have the conditions to take care of their children, and help their parents,” said Mr. Su.

Contributing his opinion at the conference, Mr. Truong Minh Son - Secretary of the Party Cell of Hamlet 8, My Thanh Commune said: The construction of Trang Ke Industrial Park needs to converge 3 factors: favorable weather, favorable terrain and harmony. The favorable weather is thanks to the policy of the Party and State to bring industry to My Thanh. The favorable terrain is taking advantage of this area located on National Highway 7A, between 2 dynamic economic regions, Dien Chau and Do Luong. And harmony is the consensus of the people. We have favorable weather, favorable terrain, so the people of Hamlet 12 should sacrifice a little, sacrifice everything and need to agree for the common good. If we do not build this Industrial Park, it will be a sin for our descendants.

“Like our hamlet 8, despite the limited land fund, we still sacrificed to build schools and memorials. If our people also object, what will happen to our children’s education? If because of the objections of some households in hamlet 12, we do not build the industrial park, it will go against the laws of social development and be a crime against our children,” said Mr. Son.

(To be continued)

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