Nghe An overcomes resettlement project for fishermen on Lam River

After more than 10 years of abandonment, the cultural house and kindergarten in Khe Mu residential area have just been painted and repaired. Photo: PV

Previously,April 21, 2009,People's Committee of Nghe An provinceIssued Decision No. 1479 on permitting the establishment of the project: "Building model resettlement areas (TDC) for fishing households on Lam River and particularly difficult areas of Thanh Chuong district".

According to the above Decision, there are nearly 200 fishing households along Lam River and in particularly difficult areas of the district.Thanh Chuongwill be arranged in Khe Mu resettlement area, Thanh Thuy commune and Trieu Duong resettlement area, Thanh Lam commune (Thanh Chuong). Of which, the most concentrated are in Van Tai hamlet, Vo Liet commune (now called Minh Duc hamlet), Giang Thuy hamlet (Thanh Giang commune), the rest are scattered in Phong Thinh, Thanh Ha, Thanh Yen communes, block 6 of Dung town... to settle down, stabilize production and life.

The project is invested by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nghe An Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, with the initial approved capital of 74 billion VND. After the second adjustment of the planning, the project investment capital was increased to more than 84 billion VND (from the central budget and counterpart capital of Nghe An province). Dai Cat Thanh Joint Stock Company (headquartered in Hanoi) is the winning bidder for the project construction.

To implement the Khe Mu resettlement project, the investor has recovered nearly 300 hectares of production forest land from 49 households. Among these households, most are citizens of Thanh Thuy commune, the remaining few are citizens of Thanh An, Thanh Khe, Thanh Chi communes,... of Thanh Chuong district. In addition, at the Trieu Duong resettlement project, the project investor also recovered more than 100 hectares of production land from local people.

After the State's land recovery policy, people have land for production in the area.Khe Mu(Thanh Thuy commune) has strictly followed the policies, quickly harvested crops and products on the land... and soon handed over the site to the investor.

Construction units patch up damaged road sections. Photo: PV

On May 7, 2010, the resettlement project for fishing villages in Khe Mu, Thanh Thuy commune and Trieu Duong, Thanh Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district was started with the witness of many agencies, departments and the joyful expectation of the people who benefit from the project. According to the plan, in early 2011, the project will hand over production land and residential land to 120 households to live in Khe Mu area, Thanh Thuy commune and 45 households in Trieu Duong dam area, Thanh Lam commune.

However, after a period of implementation, due to many different reasons, the Khe Mu resettlement project did not ensure the handover progress as planned. The construction of the Khe Mu resettlement project lasted until 2016, completed a number of items (residential land, residential roads, electricity lines, cultural houses...) and then stopped completely, abandoned, exposed to the elements for many years.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Phung (residing in Minh Duc hamlet, Vo Liet commune, Thanh Chuong district) said: In recent years, the children in the hamlet have all gone to look for jobs far away, leaving mainly old people in the hamlet. The life of the people here is very difficult, there is no land to live, no land to produce, everyone wants to be resettled but after more than 10 years, the people's wishes have not come true.

After waiting for resettlement for too long, the fishermen of Minh Duc hamlet, Vo Lieu commune, have built houses on the banks of Lam river. According to the locals, although they know that the construction is illegal, because they have waited too long and have not been able to go to the resettlement area, they have had to build temporary houses on the banks of the river.

Mr. Bui Xuan Linh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Vo Liet commune said that a household has built a house near the bank of Lam river, which is theillegal construction, when they receive resettlement land, it will be demolished. Mr. Linh also said that up to now, there are about 40 households and nearly 200 people of Minh Duc hamlet, Vo Liet commune who need to receive land in the resettlement area.

Information from the project investor, the Rural Development Department, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghe An province, said that in 2015, after reviewing the households in need of resettlement, the unit had a plan to approve the relocation of 45 households in Vo Liet commune. Each household to be resettled will receive nearly 1 hectare of residential land and cultivated land. However, due to the prolonged unfinished project, no household has been moved to Khe Mu resettlement area yet. The plan is to arrange for 120 households living scattered along the river in Vo Liet, Thanh Chi, Phong Thinh communes, Thanh Chuong town, but has not been able to arrange for any households.

Waiting for resettlement for too long, many households have built solid houses on the banks of Lam River. Photo: PV

Talking to reporters, Mr. Le Van Luong - Head of Nghe An Rural Development Department, said: Because the project implementation time is too long, in the coming time, we will re-survey the number of households who wish and are qualified to move them to the resettlement area. The previous survey data is that there are more than 100 households, but over many years, the needs, wishes and data on resettled households will certainly change.

Mr. Trinh Van Nha - Chairman of Thanh Chuong District People's Committee is worried: People in Van Chai hamlet have mainly lived on Lam River, they are not familiar with the practices of farming, raising livestock, and growing perennial crops. Secondly, the distance from the old place of residence (Minh Duc hamlet, Vo Liet commune) to the new place of residence is nearly 20km, far from schools and necessary services. Therefore, for people to feel secure in living, get used to production practices, and develop the economy in the new place of residence, it takes a lot of time and effort. For people to live on the landresettlementIt is not simple, said the Chairman of Thanh Chuong District People's Committee.

Besides, the Chairman of Thanh Chuong District People's Committee is also concerned that if the project is not implemented strictly, people will have resettlement land but will not live there but will buy, sell, and transfer it, thus the project's goals will not be achieved./.