'Ignoring' instructions from superiors, a commune in Tan Ky was criticized for its responsibility
Although there is a wood chip factory operating illegally in the area, the People's Committee of Ky Son commune did not report as requested by the People's Committee of Tan Ky district...
New illegal wood chip factory appeared!
On the morning of July 31, we received information that in Ky Son commune (Tan Ky) there was aillegal wood chip factorynewly launched
Surprised by this information, because in May 2024, the inspection results of the Interdisciplinary Team established by the Provincial People's Committee under Decision No. 3967/QD-UBND dated December 1, 2023 showed that in Tan Ky district, there was only one wood chip processing and chopping facility in Nghia Binh commune.
Surprisingly, from the report of the Interdisciplinary Delegation, the Provincial People's Committee had very strict instructions, so on July 25, 2024, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Ky district issued Official Dispatch No. 1410/UBND-NN to strengthen State management, rectify wood processing and chipping activities in the area, in which he reminded relevant departments, offices, units and People's Committees of communes to "seriously implement" and "be responsible to the District People's Committee and the Chairman of the District People's Committee".
However, the information that a new wood chip processing factory has just come into operation in Ky Son commune is correct. More importantly, this wood chip processing factory is organized and operated in the factory of the biofertilizer factory of Vinh Chemical Joint Stock Company, only a short distance from the headquarters of the People's Committee of Ky Son commune, and about 1km from the People's Committee of Tan Ky district!
When we arrived, it was already past 11am, the chipping line was not running, but there were quite large piles of wood chips in the yard, and some peeled raw acacia wood. At the same time, there was a large truck loaded with wood chips; an excavator was scooping up the wood chips.
Also in this place, there were 2 people working. They introduced themselves as managers of a wood chip processing workshop, belonging to Tuyen Quang Forestry Processing and Trading Joint Stock Company headquartered in Quy Hop district. When talking to these 2 people, they said that the wood chip processing workshop had been established not long ago, the wood chip equipment assembly line had only been installed for about 2 months, and had been officially operating for nearly 1 month...
Requesting information about related legal procedures, one of the two people contacted someone by phone and said that Tuyen Quang Forestry Products Trading and Processing Joint Stock Company had signed a contract with Vinh Chemical Joint Stock Company to rent land, use yards and factories to organize wood chip processing activities.
“The company director said he had already worked with the commune and district. The relevant documents had also been sent to the commune…” – a person informed.
On the same day, July 31, when contacting a responsible official of the Tan Ky District People's Committee, it was said that the district knew about the wood chip processing factory in Ky Son Commune. He affirmed that the District People's Committee would request the Ky Son Commune People's Committee to have a report explaining and reviewing responsibilities.
The reason is: “In early July 2024, the Association of Wood Processing and Non-Timber Forest Products reported to the Provincial People's Committee that since the Interdisciplinary Team finished the inspection, many wood chip processing facilities that did not comply with regulations had appeared in a number of localities. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development then issued Official Dispatch No. 2878/SNN-KL dated July 17, 2024 requesting an inspection, review and clarification of the reflection to report to the Provincial People's Committee. Therefore, the People's Committee of Tan Ky district directed the People's Committees of communes and towns in the area to organize a review and report before July 29, 2024. However, the People's Committee of Ky Son commune did not report, while there was a new establishment of wood chip processing facilities in the area...”.
Lack of responsibility at the commune level
Grasping the next developments, it is known that on August 1, 2024, Tan Ky District People's Committee issued urgent Document No. 1465/UBND-NN on directing the rectification of wood chip purchasing, processing and chopping activities in the area to the Chairman of Ky Son Commune People's Committee.
Here, the People's Committee of Tan Ky district mentioned the issued Official Dispatches to request strengthening of state management, rectification of wood chip processing and chopping activities. At the same time, information, based on the review results of the People's Committees of communes and towns, on July 29, 2024, the People's Committee of the district issued Document No. 266/BC-UBND to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reporting that in the area there is only 1 Hoang Hai wood chip chopping facility in Nghia Binh commune.
However, on July 31, 2024, a complaint was received from the people that "There is a wood chip processing factory operating at Vinh Chemical Joint Stock Company, Tien Phong hamlet, Ky Son commune". Through inspection, it was determined that the complaint was well-founded, but the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ky Son commune did not report fully and promptly according to the direction of the District People's Committee.
Therefore, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Tan Ky district has the opinion "Criticize the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ky Son commune; Assign the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ky Son commune to organize a review of the responsibilities of the officials in charge of the above-mentioned fields, propose a form of handling of responsibilities (if it reaches the level that requires handling)". At the same time, assign the People's Committee of Ky Son commune to organize inspection, review, handle or propose handling according to authority for the establishments purchasing, processing, and chopping wood chips that have been operating in the area with violations...; report in writing the above contents before August 5, 2024.
By August 5, 2024, the People's Committee of Ky Son commune had sent a report with the inspection record of the wood chip processing workshop of Tuyen Quang Forestry Processing and Trading Joint Stock Company in Tien Phong hamlet to the People's Committee of Tan Ky district. However, due to the incomplete content of the report and the lack of organization to clarify the responsibilities of the relevant organizations and individuals, the People's Committee of Tan Ky district continued to issue urgent dispatch No. 1518/UBND-NN dated August 7, 2024 on "urging and rectifying the activities of purchasing, processing and chopping wood chips in the area" to the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ky Son commune. With the request that the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ky Son commune fully and seriously implement the contents assigned by the People's Committee of Tan Ky district in urgent dispatch No. 1465/UBND-NN dated August 1, 2024, and must report in writing to the People's Committee of the district before August 13, 2024.
Inspection ordered!
Recently, in order to strengthen state management and rectify wood chip processing and chopping activities in the province, the Provincial People's Committee issued Document No. 6089/UBND-NN dated July 19, 2024 to relevant departments, branches, units and People's Committees of districts and towns with wood chip processing and chopping facilities in the area.
Document No. 6089/UBND-NN includes many contents, but here, the Provincial People's Committee clearly points out the shortcomings and limitations in state management in some localities, affirming that this is one of the reasons leading to violations and wrongdoings in wood chip processing and chopping facilities. Thereby, requesting the People's Committees at district and town levels to strengthen state management; proactively inspect and examine to detect, prevent, rectify and handle violations according to their authority and in accordance with legal regulations...
The Provincial People's Committee affirmed: "Any locality that does not implement or does not implement seriously; allowing violations to recur, the Chairman of the People's Committee of the district or town must be responsible before the Provincial People's Committee and the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee".
Therefore, on August 12, we contacted Mr. Phan Van Giap - Chairman of Tan Ky District People's Committee to request information on how to handle the incident in Ky Son commune.
Over the phone, Chairman of Tan Ky District People's Committee Phan Van Giap said that he had directed officials to organize an inspection to clarify the matter, and emphasized: "Whatever you do, you must comply with legal regulations...".
