Is this a "craft village road" project or "Road 205" in Do Thanh commune?

(Baonghean)Mr. Ho Duc Dinh (residing in Bac Vuc hamlet, Do Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district) reported that the Bac Vuc rattan and bamboo weaving export village has been recognized by the Provincial People's Committee and is entitled to government policies and benefits, including road infrastructure. However, the Do Thanh Commune People's Committee has transferred this project to the repair of Road 205. To clarify the reader's complaint, we visited Do Thanh commune and found that this is not the case.

According to Mr. Ho Duc Dinh, after the craft village was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee, the people of Bac Vuc hamlet agreed to donate land and clear the embankment to widen the road to 7 meters (compared to only 3-4 meters before). However, "the local government of the commune, along with some individuals in positions of power, secretly transferred the craft village road project of Bac Vuc hamlet to upgrade Road 205." When asked on what basis he claimed the craft village road project was transferred to Road 205, he said he had no evidence, only stating that the villagers had mentioned the craft village road project in hamlet meetings. Mr. Ho Sy Dien, head of Bac Vuc hamlet, affirmed: "Regarding the craft village road project, the hamlet has not held any meetings... Therefore, we cannot confirm which road is the craft village road and have not heard any announcement."

The village road, also known as Road 205, runs through the middle of Bac Vuc hamlet.

Upon investigation, we learned that the Bac Vuc rattan and bamboo weaving export village in Do Thanh commune was recognized by the Provincial People's Committee in 2009 under Decision No. 6834 dated December 23, 2009, and is entitled to support policies according to current regulations of the State and the province. Specifically, the road project for the Bac Vuc rattan and bamboo weaving export village was approved by the Yen Thanh District People's Committee under Decision No. 1832/QD.UBND-CN dated March 21, 2012. This is based on Decision No. 109/2009/QD-UBND dated December 9, 2009, of the Provincial People's Committee on the promulgation of regulations on the management of investment in construction projects and bidding in Nghe An province. According to Decision No. 80/2008/QD.UBND dated December 18, 2008, on the promulgation of regulations on the recognition of craft villages and craft villages, and policies to encourage the development of small-scale industries and craft villages in Nghe An province, for the above project, the People's Committee of Yen Thanh district and the People's Committee of Do Thanh commune (the investor) are responsible for deciding on the location, content, scale of investment, and mobilizing capital to implement the project in accordance with regulations. The economic and technical report for the road project in the Bac Vuc export-oriented rattan and bamboo weaving village, approved by the Yen Thanh District People's Committee, clearly states: "Approval of the economic and technical report for the road project in the Bac Vuc export-oriented rattan and bamboo weaving village, Do Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, submitted by Construction and Inspection Joint Stock Company 789, with the following content: Construction site is located in Bac Vuc hamlet, Do Thanh commune. Starting point at Km0+913.61 in Bac Vuc hamlet, ending point at Km2+800 in Bac Vuc hamlet, length 1,877.17m, according to the standard of a Class V road in the plains. The project is invested and directly managed by the Do Thanh Commune People's Committee, with an approved budget of 5,871,852,000 VND." Do Thanh commune has implemented the village road project, which is also Road 205, at the location as approved in the plan.

Regarding the reason for choosing Road 205 to implement the project of building a road for the craft village, Mr. Ho Xuan Huong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Do Thanh Commune, said: "Bac Vuc craft village is located on both sides of Road 205. Therefore, after being recognized as a craft village, the commune developed a project to build an internal commune road (Road 205) because this road had deteriorated. Building this road will benefit not only Bac Vuc hamlet but also the entire commune." Residents in the area said that previously the road was heavily damaged and dangerous, especially during the rainy season when it was prone to landslides. However, since the craft village road was completed, people can travel more easily, and everyone is very happy.

Confirming the location of the craft village road, Mr. Ho Chi Cuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Do Thanh commune, asserted: "The Bac Vuc craft village road starts from the beginning of the Vach Bac bridge to the border with Dien Thap commune, equivalent to from Km0+913.61 to Km2+800, exactly as approved in the project." Mr. Cuong also stated that the locality is continuing to request the Provincial People's Committee to extend the craft village road project, connecting Bac Vuc craft village with Yen Hoi craft village, both within Do Thanh commune, to serve the socio-economic development of the locality. Concurring, Ms. Ho Thi Thoi, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Do Thanh commune and a member of the community monitoring committee, said: "The craft village road project was approved by the higher authorities to be Road 205, running from the commune center to the craft village, because Bac Vuc is located on both sides of Road 205. The project is being implemented according to the approved design."

Mr. Ho Van Ngan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Do Thanh commune, also affirmed: "The village road is also Road 205. Road 205 runs through Bac Vuc village, serving the entire Bac Vuc hamlet." Regarding the issue of donating land for road construction as Mr. Dinh reflected, Mr. Ngan said that all 14 hamlets in Do Thanh commune voluntarily cleared and donated land for road construction under the new rural development program, not just Bac Vuc hamlet.

It is now clear that Mr. Dinh's claim that Do Thanh commune transferred the craft village road project to become Road 205 is a misunderstanding, as the craft village road is also Road 205. Through this incident, Mr. Dinh should thoroughly investigate the approved project with the investor and not just make unfounded claims based on hearsay. Do Thanh commune also needs to learn from this experience. Before implementing a project, it is necessary to disseminate information to all hamlets and through the public address system so that people are informed, in accordance with the principles of grassroots democracy. When citizens have questions, the authorities need to provide clear explanations, avoiding evasiveness that could lead to misunderstandings and complaints, causing negative public opinion.

Text and photos: Quang An