Openly share information and engage in dialogue to resolve obstacles.

(Baonghean) - Timely public disclosure of policies, focused mobilization of the people, and dialogue to resolve difficulties are solutions implemented by the political system of Quy Chau district in recent times to carry out compensation, support, and resettlement work for the Ban Mong Reservoir construction project.

Construction of the Chau Binh drainage canal is part of the Ban Mong Reservoir Project.

"Going to every alley, knocking on every door."

Land clearance for the Ban Mong Reservoir Project was carried out in two phases. Phase 1, from October 2014 to the end of 2016, aimed to facilitate the construction of the auxiliary dam, reservoir connecting canal, and Chau Binh drainage canal. The project required rapid land handover, while a large number of households, up to 531 in Chau Binh commune, were affected.

Aware of the importance of public relations work, the Quy Chau District People's Committee directed the Compensation, Support and Resettlement Council to hold meetings with the people of all 8 affected villages in phase 1.

Comrade Lo Thanh Son, Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quy Chau district, added: "During the implementation process, the Council assigned responsible teams to continue meeting with the people, conducting surveys of the current state of land and assets on the land; at the same time, they proceeded to determine compensation prices, publicly posted them, and paid according to regulations, achieving high efficiency."

These are the new homes of the residents after they were relocated to make way for the project.

In Chau Binh commune, besides coordinating well with relevant departments and agencies of the district and the Project Management Board, the commune Party Committee assigned each member of the commune Party Committee to be in charge of a village. In Quynh 2 village, Chau Binh commune, out of 259 households, 63 were affected, including 11 households that had to relocate. Initially, there were some questions and disagreements. However, with the involvement of all levels, especially at the village level, the people understood the meaning, progress, and principles of compensation pricing.

The people of Quynh 1 village, Chau Binh commune (Quy Chau district) discussed with commune officials about building a pedestrian bridge.

Comrade Nguyen Van Thanh, Secretary of the Party Branch of Quynh 2 village, shared: “To make the people understand, the person doing the persuasion must first understand. Therefore, we focused on gathering information about the project. Only then did we approach them. Once the understanding was clear, the people supported and unanimously agreed.” With a coordinated effort, overcoming initial difficulties, Quynh 2 village became the first unit in Chau Binh commune to hand over the land.

The people have also received a total of 16 billion VND in compensation and support to build houses and stabilize production. The family of Mr. Nguyen Tran Luyen in Quynh 2 village was one of the households affected, losing both their house and 8 sao (approximately 0.8 hectares) of agricultural land. To date, after receiving compensation, his family has completed the construction of a spacious new house in their new location.

This is also the general approach that has been thoroughly implemented in the affected villages of Chau Binh over the past period. Through this, it has created consensus among the people regarding this key project of the entire province.

Dialogue to resolve obstacles

Besides effectively carrying out mobilization and propaganda work, as well as ensuring transparency in compensation policies, dialogue with the people is also a solution that has been applied. This is the story of Quynh 1 village, Chau Binh commune. When the Chau Binh drainage canal was constructed, the village's boundaries were divided in two, with people living along both banks. More than 120 households live on the left bank, while 60 households live on the right bank. The design included two reinforced concrete bridges across the canal to serve the transportation needs of the people.

The Chau Binh drainage canal, part of the Ban Mong reservoir project, is nearing completion.

However, according to the residents of Quynh 1 village, the bridge's location is not ideal as it is situated at both ends of the village. Therefore, the people wish to have a pedestrian bridge connecting the two banks of the canal in the middle of the village, leading directly to the community center.

Comrade Nguyen Van Minh, Head of Quynh 1 village, said: “Every day, people have to cross the canal to go to work. The area where people are requesting a bridge is also densely populated, with a high demand for transportation.” Following the people's request, the relevant parties have held four dialogues to find a solution to the problem.

Through dialogues, the stakeholders agreed to build a pedestrian bridge with sufficient width for motorcycles and bicycles to pass through, at a lower investment cost than bridges built according to design specifications.

With the involvement of the entire political system, especially the emphasis on mass mobilization work by relevant sectors, localities, and units, the land clearance work for the Ban Mong Reservoir Project has basically received the consensus of the people.

The council has processed compensation claims for 455 out of 531 households affected by the project. The Quy Chau District People's Committee has also approved the compensation and resettlement support plan for 368 households in 8 villages of Chau Binh commune, and has made 7 payments totaling over 88 billion VND out of the approved budget of over 100 billion VND.

Comrade Lu Thi Thuy, Head of the Mass Mobilization Department of the Quy Chau District Party Committee, said: “In the coming period, we will continue to focus on directing the implementation of solutions to some remaining obstacles in phases 1 and 2 of the project, which is the construction of the main dam in Mong village. In the reservoir area, hundreds of households in Quy Chau district, not only in Chau Binh commune but also in many other units, are affected.”

Nhat Le