Deputy Prime Minister directs stabilizing the lives of people affected by Ban Ve Hydropower Project

Full text of the announcement of the Deputy Prime Minister's conclusion and direction

On March 28, 2019, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung chaired a meeting on resolving issues after the 2018 flood; existing problems and obstacles in compensation, support and resettlement of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project, Nghe An Province. Attending the meeting were leaders of the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Natural Resources and Environment, Planning and Investment, Government Office; representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Finance; leaders of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee; leaders of Vietnam Electricity Group and related units.

The meeting on March 28, 2019 was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung. Photo: PV

After listening to the report of the leaders of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee and the opinions of the delegates attending the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung concluded as follows:

The Ban Ve Hydropower Project in Yen Na Commune, Tuong Duong District, Nghe An Province was approved by the Prime Minister and assigned to the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) as the investor. The project began construction in 2004 and was put into operation in 2010, supplying the country with an average of 1,084.2 million kWh/year.

Notice No. 143/TB-VPCP dated April 13, 2019 of the Government Office. Photo: Nhat Lan

The project has received great contributions and support from the Party Committee and people of Nghe An province, especially 3,022 households with more than 14,324 people from 34 villages in Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts who proactively implemented the Party and State's policies, supporting the investor in relocating people and handing over clean land to build Ban Ve Hydropower Plant on schedule (2004 - 2010).

However, up to now, the compensation, support and resettlement policies still have some shortcomings and problems, directly affecting the lives of people in the resettlement and migration areas in recent years. In particular, due to the impact of the circulation of storm No. 4 (August 2018), it caused severe damage to people's houses, structures, crops and many other public works.

After the floods in 2018, many households in Tuong Duong district had to live in makeshift huts. Photo: Nhat Lan

In order to soon stabilize the lives of people and ethnic minorities in the Vietnam - Laos border area due to the handover of the construction site of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project before the 2019 flood season, the Ministry of Industry and Trade is requested to direct the Vietnam Electricity Group to urgently coordinate with the People's Committee of Nghe An province and Tuong Duong and Thanh Chuong districts to review the existing problems and difficulties related to compensation, support, resettlement and damage after storm No. 4 (August 2018) of people in the Ban Ve Hydropower Project area and the project-affected area.

On that basis, consider and handle financial support from the investment capital of the Ban Ve Hydropower project in accordance with current regulations, to help people in the project area overcome existing problems and difficulties in compensation, support and resettlement.

Roads and power grids in Luong Minh commune (Tuong Duong) were severely damaged after the floods in 2018. Photo: Nhat Lan

About 180 billion VND is needed to resolve the existing problems of the Ban Ve hydropower project.

As reported by Nghe An Newspaper, the total budget to resolve existing problems and difficulties in compensation, support, resettlement of the Ban Ve Hydropower project and overcoming the consequences of the 2018 flood that the two districts of Tuong Duong and Thanh Chuong reported to the Provincial People's Committee and the investor is about 180 billion VND.

In Tuong Duong district, the list of proposed support includes: Repairing resettlement houses and degraded public works built by investors with a budget of more than 2.5 billion VND; Supporting leveling houses for 3 disadvantaged villages in the Ban Ve hydropower reservoir area with a budget of more than 1.9 billion VND; Investing in additional resettlement areas in Xop Vi cluster to relocate the remaining 59 households in Xop Chao, Khe Pang and Pung Meo villages, with a budget of about 11 billion VND.

Support for the construction of a new resettlement area in Khe O, Yen Na commune with a cost of about 5 billion VND; Support for the construction of Yen Na Secondary School with a cost of about 8.5 billion VND; Support for damage caused by the flood discharge on August 30-31, 2018 with about 22 billion VND (of which, support of 10 billion VND to build infrastructure for 31 households in Luong Minh commune to have new accommodation; 10 billion VND to repair 4 flooded and damaged locations on route 543B; 2 billion VND to repair 2 damaged suspension bridges).

Many resettled households in Thanh Chuong district returned to their hometown in Tuong Duong district. They built houses next to Ban Ve hydroelectric reservoir to live. Photo: Nhat Lan

In addition, compensation and support for land above the flood level with about more than 107 billion VND, because the entire land area above the flood level of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project according to the temporary regulations of the project does not implement the compensation and site clearance plan. Meanwhile, people in the reservoir area must all be relocated to resettlement areas in Thanh Chuong and Tuong Duong districts, cannot produce on this area but must return it to the State for management and use for other purposes, which is 4,298.11 hectares (including forestry land that the State has allocated land, issued land use right certificates to people according to Decree 163, rural residential land, annual crop land, perennial crop land, production forest land, rice land, aquaculture land).

For Thanh Chuong district, it is proposed to invest in essential works in the area of ​​2 resettlement communes of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant, including 3 production roads, rural markets, commune-level stadiums, martyrs' memorials and Nong Village Cultural Houses of the 2 resettlement communes of Ngoc Lam and Thanh Son. The preliminary estimate of the total cost of implementing these project items is about 19 billion VND. In addition, it is necessary to complete the work of measuring and granting land use right certificates to the people.

The working session between the Provincial People's Committee and the investor of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant, held on February 22, 2019, Photo: Nhat Lan

Regarding the problems and difficulties in the compensation, support and resettlement of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project, on October 18, 2018, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued an official dispatch confirming that the settlement was still slow, leading to voters' reflections and press reports, causing public outrage.

The Ban Ve Hydropower Project in Yen Na Commune, Tuong Duong District started construction in 2004 and was put into operation in 2010, supplying the country with an average of 1,084.2 million kWh/year.

On February 22, 2019, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee continued to organize a working session with the investor of Ban Ve Hydropower Plant. However, at this meeting, there was still no agreement on how to resolve some existing problems and difficulties in compensation, support and resettlement, and issues arising after the 2018 flood.