The Do Luong District Party Committee responds to the issues raised in the newspaper report.

(Baonghean) - In response to Official Letter No. 3004-CV/TU dated April 25, 2014, from the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, requesting the Standing Committee of the Do Luong District Party Committee to consider and address the issue reported by Nghe An Newspaper: In 2006, Mr. Ngo Tri Ho, from Hamlet 7, Trang Son Commune, Do Luong District, borrowed over 6,000 m2 of rice paddy land from more than 20 households in the same commune, but failed to return it by the deadline; meanwhile, the Trang Son Commune government legalized the documents and procedures to submit to the Do Luong District People's Committee to grant Mr. Ho the aforementioned land area for a farm, causing public outrage. On May 9, 2014, the Do Luong District Party Committee issued Official Letter No. 880-CV/HU with the following response:

- Regarding the incident that occurred in the Bau Sen area, Trang Son commune, Do Luong district, where Mr. Ngo Tri Ho leased land to establish a farm;

The Standing Committee of the Do Luong District Party Committee reports a summary of the developments and results of handling the incident as follows:

Plot 187, map sheet number 07, located in the Bau Sen area of ​​Trang Son commune, is rice paddy land. The People's Committee of Trang Son commune (as per Decree 64/ND-CP) allocated this land to 21 households for agricultural production. However, the Bau Sen area in Trang Son commune is low-lying, on the outskirts of the village, resulting in inefficient agricultural production. Consequently, most households left the land fallow and switched to trading or other supplementary occupations. In 2006, implementing the policy of building farm models for individual households, Mr. Ngo Tri Ho directly persuaded several households that had been allocated land in the Bau Sen area to lease or lend it to his family for conversion into fish ponds. Specifically:

Six households unanimously agreed to exchange their rice paddy land from Mr. Ngo Tri Ho's household in other areas for 1,520 m2 of land in the Bau Sen area for Mr. Ngo Tri Ho to establish a farm.

Ten households unanimously agreed to lend Mr. Ngo Tri Ho 2,439 square meters of land in the Bau Sen area to establish a farm.

+ Four households have returned 998m2 of land in the Bau Sen area, handing it over to the Trang Son Commune People's Committee for management.

- After persuading several households to lease or borrow land, Mr. Ngo Tri Ho applied for land lease to build a farm in the Bau Sen area, Trang Son commune; with a leased land area of ​​6,386 m2, for a lease term of 40 years; the Trang Son Commune People's Committee agreed and prepared Report No. 42/TTr-UBND requesting the District People's Committee to reclaim 6,386 m2 of land at plot 187, map sheet No. 07, Bau Sen area, Trang Son commune, for Mr. Ngo Tri Ho to lease for his farm. Based on the land lease application of Mr. Ngo Tri Ho's household and the report requesting land reclamation from the Chairman of the Trang Son Commune People's Committee, which stated: "Land on the edge of the village, cannot be allocated to households for production, land managed by the Commune People's Committee"; The relevant departments advised the Chairman of the District People's Committee to issue a decision to reclaim the land and lease it to Mr. Ngo Tri Ho for a farm, without verifying the land lease application and the current land use status. After being allocated the land and granted a land use right certificate by the District People's Committee, Mr. Ngo Tri Ho proceeded to build a comprehensive livestock farm (pigs, fish, poultry, and rice cultivation...). From 2007 to the present, Mr. Ngo Tri Ho's family farm has been relatively economically effective; however, at the end of 2012, some citizens with land in the Bau Sen area wrote letters complaining about the land reclamation and allocation to Mr. Ngo Tri Ho's family for a farm being contrary to regulations and demanding the return of their land. The Standing Committee of the District Party Committee directed the District People's Committee to inspect and review the procedures related to the land reclamation and allocation to Mr. Ngo Tri Ho's family for the farm. The inspection revealed several irregularities in the process of land reclamation and allocation to Mr. Ngo Tri Ho for farming in the Bau Sen area, Trang Son commune.

Specifically:

+ The Bau Sen area was allocated to households for production according to Decree 64/ND-CP; however, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Trang Son commune (during the 2006 period) was dishonest when preparing the proposal to reclaim the land, claiming that "The land is on the outskirts of the village, cannot be allocated to households for production, and is managed by the People's Committee of the commune."

+ The functional departments under the District People's Committee did not verify the land lease application and the current land use status of Mr. Ngo Tri Ho's farm, which the Chairman of Trang Son Commune People's Committee proposed to reclaim; instead, they only relied on the submission from the Chairman of Trang Son Commune People's Committee to advise the Chairman of the District People's Committee to issue a decision to reclaim the land, allowing Mr. Ngo Tri Ho to enter into a contract to operate the farm.

+ Regarding the households that leased or borrowed land from Mr. Ngo Tri Ho, they also showed a lack of responsibility for the land allocated to them by the Trang Son Commune People's Committee; instead, they waited six years, until Mr. Ngo Tri Ho had invested a considerable amount of money and effort in building the farm and the farm began to yield results, before filing a claim to reclaim the land.

- Based on the irregularities in the land acquisition process and the allocation of land to Mr. Ngo Tri Ho for a farm in the Bau Sen area, Trang Son commune, the People's Committee of Do Luong district has handled the violations as follows:

+ Issued a decision to revoke and annul Decision No. 40/QD-UBND.TN, dated March 12, 2007, regarding the revocation of 6,386 m2 of land in the Bau Sen area, Trang Son commune.

+ Issued a decision to revoke and annul Decision No. 225/QD-UBND dated November 2, 2007, regarding the granting of land use right certificates to Mr. Ngo Tri Ho and Ms. Phan Thi Huyen - Hamlet 7, Trang Son Commune.

+ Issued a decision to revoke and cancel Land Use Right Certificate No. AH 062380 issued by the People's Committee of Do Luong District on November 2, 2007; the land users are Mr. Ngo Tri Ho and Ms. Phan Thi Huyen - Hamlet 7, Trang Son Commune; in order to protect the land use rights of the households previously allocated land.

+ Issued a decision to revoke and annul Decision No. 1510/QD-UBND dated October 29, 2009, regarding the recognition of Mr. Ngo Tri Ho's farm - Hamlet 7, Trang Son Commune.

+ Issued a decision to revoke and cancel the farm certificate issued by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Do Luong District to Mr. Ngo Tri Ho on October 30, 2009, according to Decision 1510/QD-UBND dated October 29, 2009.

+ Direct the People's Committee of Trang Son commune to conduct a serious review of the responsibilities of the collective and individuals involved in the irregularities in advising on the land lease application of Mr. Ngo Tri Ho's family, and to take appropriate disciplinary action commensurate with the violations.

+ Conduct a serious review of several officials and civil servants in relevant departments and agencies of the District People's Committee who lacked responsibility in verifying the land lease application and current land use status of Mr. Ngo Tri Ho, leading to advising the Chairman of the District People's Committee to sign a decision to revoke and lease land in violation of regulations.

Currently, the Standing Committee of the Do Luong District Party Committee is continuing to direct the District People's Committee to definitively resolve the remaining issues.

Do Luong District Party Committee