Paradox: Completed resettlement area still cannot be used in Vinh city
Although it has been implemented for more than 10 years and 100% of the items have been completed, the resettlement area for people in the area outside the Lam River dike, in Thuan Hoa hamlet, Hung Hoa commune (Vinh city) still cannot be put into use.
Urgent project
Hoa Lam Hamlet or also known asHoa Lam residential area(belonging to Thuan Hoa hamlet), Hung Hoa commune, located outside the Lam River dike. This residential area was formed in the 60s and 70s of the 20th century. This is the place where households and individuals who work as fishermen in the lower Lam River live. Because it is located outside the dike, every year, during the rainy season (from August to October), this residential area is submerged in water. There were years when the flood water rose to the roofs of houses, forcing households to move to the Lam River dike to take refuge.
Because it is located in an area heavily affected by natural disasters, since 2012, the Provincial People's Committee has decided to implement the Project to invest in building infrastructure for resettlement areas to urgently relocate people in Hoa Lam hamlet out of the Lam River bank area. On November 19, 2013, the Project to build infrastructure for resettlement areas to urgently relocate people out of the disaster area of Hung Hoa commune, Vinh city was officially approved by the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 5476/QD-UBND-NN. The project was then assigned to the Nghe An Provincial Department of Rural Development as the investor.
The area for this project is 3,309 hectares in Thuan Hoa hamlet, right opposite the Hoa Lam residential area inside the Lam River dike, to be used as a concentrated resettlement area. The number of households to be relocated is expected to be 58 households.
However, after a long period of implementation without capital, the project was not started until 2020. Because of the extended implementation time, the Hoa Lam residential area has grown from the initial relocation target of 58 households to 82 households. This has caused the project to be constantly adjusted.
Most recently, on June 27, 2023, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee continued to issue Decision No. 1800/QD-UBND on adjusting the Project on Construction of Infrastructure for Resettlement Areas for Emergency Evacuation from Disaster Areas in Hung Hoa Commune, Vinh City. This Decision has removed the intersection between D1 Road and National Highway 46C. At the same time, the total investment has been adjusted to more than 36.6 billion VND. Including: Construction costs of more than 26.7 billion VND; compensation and site clearance costs of more than 5.4 billion VND; construction investment consulting costs of more than 2.3 billion VND; project management costs of nearly 500 million VND and many other costs...
In Adjustment Decision No. 1800, the Provincial People's Committee also assigned the investor to organize and implement steps to implement the project in accordance with current regulations of the State; deploy the implementation volume in accordance with the allocated capital source, not causing outstanding debts in basic construction, ensuring progress, quality and efficiency.
Waiting for delivery date
It can be seen that the Project to build infrastructure for resettlement areas to evacuate people from the disaster area of Hung Hoa commune, Vinh city is an urgent project. In fact, every year during the rainy season, this residential area has to endure deep flooding, causing damage and deterioration of their houses, but they cannot be upgraded or repaired due to land clearance regulations. Not to mention, due to the long project implementation time, the number of households initially increased, forcing the local government and investors to consider expanding the resettlement area and allocating more land for newly-arrived households (implemented in phase 2).
In addition, due to the lack of specific regulations on the handover of resettlement land and the recovery of the old land where people are living, the relocation of people to new places of residence has not yet been completed. This has caused local people to continue to petition authorities at all levels and functional agencies to promptly implement the plan.
Specifically, at the meeting with voters after the 14th Session of the 18th Provincial People's Council, Ms. Hoang Thi Thuyet - Head of Thuan Hoa Hamlet, Hung Hoa Commune, proposed that the Provincial People's Committee urgently direct the completion of procedures for granting land for resettlement areas for Hoa Lam Hamlet residents before the upcoming flood season.
According to our research, currently phase 1 of the project (relocating the initial 58 households) has completed 100% of the items according to the contract signed with the construction contractor. Including: Site leveling, domestic electricity, domestic water, internal traffic, drainage system, cultural house. The investor has also sent a document requesting relevant departments and branches to conduct an inspection of the acceptance of the completed project to put it into use.
However, at the time of approval, the project had the main traffic route D1 connecting to Highway 46C when it was a provincial road, now upgraded to National Highway 46C, so the design of the intersection connecting Road D1 and the national highway was no longer suitable. After adjusting and removing the intersection between Road D1 and National Highway 46C, it was necessary to adjust the design of the new connection point.
Being present in this area a day ago, we noticed that the contractor is currently leveling the ground and constructing the connection point between National Highway 46C and Road D1 leading to the resettlement area. Phase 1 is expected to be completed and handed over for use in the second quarter of 2024.
A representative of Vinh City People's Committee also just said that after the Central Government agreed to provide funding to build a project to relocate the remaining 24 households of Hoa Lam hamlet and invest in the construction of some unimplemented items of phase 1 to complete the relocation of all 82 households as requested by the City People's Committee.
"Currently, Vinh City People's Committee has been urgently carrying out the work of land acquisition, compensation, and site clearance support in phase 2 according to regulations and assigned progress, to promptly hand over the site to the investor, contributing to the implementation of infrastructure construction to serve the work of evacuating people from the disaster area in Hung Hoa commune as soon as possible" - this representative shared.
