Nghe An: People rush to build houses to wait for compensation for North-South Expressway Project

Building houses and kiosks waiting for compensation

Since mid-March 2019, many households in hamlets 8 and 9, Nghi Phuong commune (Nghi Loc) have begun to gather materials and build houses and kiosks on their land that has been granted a Certificate of Land Use Rights. The construction speed is so fast that the foundation was still being built yesterday afternoon, but the rough construction has been completed this morning. These newly built houses and kiosks are all located close to National Highway 48E, with an area of ​​about 30-50m2.².

These houses have just been built close to National Highway 48E with the purpose of waiting for compensation from the North-South Expressway Project. Photo: Pham Bang

According to a resident living nearby, these constructions were built very quickly and hastily by groups of workers. Not only did they build during the day, many households also turned on the lights and built at night. Bricks, sand, and cement were continuously transported to this area. "Because we wanted compensation after the land was taken, we just wanted to build quickly, not quality," said a resident.

According to the reporter's investigation, the area where households build houses and kiosks is located in the planning project to build some sections of the North-South expressway in the East, phase 2017-2020 (part of the North-South Expressway Project). Nghi Phuong Commune is located in the planning project with a total length of 2.6 km. According to the planning, the area that crosses National Highway 48E will have an overpass built and 20 households in the South of the road will be affected.

When discovering the construction of the project, Nghi Phuong commune authorities sent officials to directly inspect. Accordingly, the commune discovered that 5 households with residential land had organized construction on the land to enjoy the support mechanisms for land acquisition and clearance for the project later. Nghi Phuong commune authorities propagandized and mobilized these households to stop construction activities, but these households did not listen and continued to build.

A newly completed house of a resident in Nghi Phuong commune, bricks are still scattered. Photo: Pham Bang

Mr. Nguyen Trong Tao - Chairman of Nghi Phuong Commune People's Committee said that the authorities have only come to survey, measure and hand over the centerline stakes for the feasibility study of the North - South Expressway Project. Nghi Loc District has not yet announced the planning and land acquisition for GPMB, so the commune has no basis to draw up a record to suspend the construction of the people.

Realizing the complexity of the situation, on March 19, Nghi Phuong commune made a report to Nghi Loc district People's Committee and requested the district to announce the planning of the North-South expressway in general and the planning of the overpass in particular for implementation. That same day, Nghi Loc district sent a delegation to assess the situation. On March 22, Nghi Loc district People's Committee issued an official dispatch prohibiting the construction of housing projects and planting of perennial trees within the area of ​​land acquisition for the North-South expressway.

In the document, the People's Committee of Nghi Loc district requested communes to strictly prohibit the construction of works, houses, planting of perennial trees, and fruit trees with the purpose of benefiting from the compensation policy for site clearance within the planning boundary of the North-South expressway; maintain the current land use status for the land within the planning boundary of the expressway.

The District People's Committee also assigned the communes to inspect and make records to handle violations according to regulations; the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the Department of Economy - Infrastructure regularly inspect, monitor and urge the communes to strictly implement land management and construction within the planning boundary of the North-South Expressway.

Mr. Nguyen Trong Tao - Chairman of Nghi Phuong Commune People's Committee worked with reporters. Photo: Pham Bang

The commune suspended but people still built.

Upon receiving this notice, Nghi Phuong commune sent cadres and hamlet chiefs to make a record to inspect the current situation and suspend the construction of the people's works. At this time, there were 7 households building houses and kiosks, including: Mr. Tran Ngoc Lan in hamlet 9; Mr. Pham Quoc Dat in hamlet 9; Mr. Le Cong Doan in hamlet 8; Mr. Nguyen Van Dung in hamlet 9; Mr. Nguyen Trong Phong in hamlet 9; Mr. Chu Van Hai in hamlet 9; Mr. Nguyen Trong Luong in hamlet 9. These houses and kiosks have basically completed the rough construction and roofing.

There is a house that has been completed, even though the commune government has issued a document requesting the suspension of construction. Photo: Pham Bang

“The commune has requested these families to immediately stop construction and planting perennial trees within the construction boundary of the North-South Expressway,” said Mr. Nguyen Trong Tao, Chairman of Nghi Phuong Commune People’s Committee, adding that despite such requests, these households still did not comply and continued to complete the project.

According to Nghi Phuong commune authorities, these households do not build secretly but openly, mainly during the day, and the construction speed is very fast. Knowing the purpose of the people is to build houses to wait for compensation, but it is very difficult to handle because they built before the district's strict prohibition notice.

"They built and framed the project very quickly. When the commune came to make a record, some items were not completed. But then the commune could not manage everything, so the people continued to complete the project. The issue of whether or not to compensate the households who built this project needs to be directed,"

Mr. Nguyen Ba Diep - Head of Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghi Loc district.

According to the reporter's investigation, the North-South Expressway project passing through Nghe An province consists of two sections: Nghi Son (Thanh Hoa) - Dien Chau (Nghe An) and Dien Chau (Nghe An) - Bai Vot (Ha Tinh). Nghi Loc area is part of the investment project to build the Dien Chau - Bai Vot section, with a total length of 49.3 km from Dien Cat commune, Dien Chau district (Nghe An) to Duc Thinh commune, Duc Tho district (Ha Tinh).

The North-South Expressway will run through Nghi Phuong commune, intersecting National Highway 48E with an overpass. Photo: Pham Bang

“In December 2018, Project Management Board 6 - Ministry of Transport handed over the centerline stakes of the project feasibility study through the district. Currently, Nghi Loc District People's Committee is selecting resettlement areas, making statistics and inventorying the current status of assets along the entire route to develop a master plan for the project”, said Mr. Nguyen Ba Diep - Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nghi Loc District.

Nghi Phuong commune area, Nghi Loc district. Photo: Google maps.

The North-South Expressway project passes through 6 districts and towns: Hoang Mai, Quynh Luu, Dien Chau, Yen Thanh, Nghi Loc and Hung Nguyen, with 39 communes and 697 residential houses subject to relocation to serve the project. In Nghi Loc district, there are 4 communes: Nghi Dong, Nghi Phuong, Nghi My, Nghi Van with the expressway running through them with a length of 7.14 km, with more than 30 households affected.