The Department of Agriculture reports to the Provincial People's Committee on handling the case of encroachment on forest land in Quy Hop district.

On September 12, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Document No. 447/SNN-KL reporting on the handling of the case of encroachment on acacia forest land at Dong Hop Forestry Farm (in Long Thanh hamlet, Tam Hop commune, Quy Hop) to the Provincial People's Committee.

The developments of the incident are stated in Document No. 447/SNN-KL as follows: On August 2, 2019, Dong Hop Forestry reported to the People's Committee of Quy Hop district that some households in Long Thanh hamlet illegally dug holes to plant acacia on lots D7, D8 (Sub-area 278) managed by Dong Hop Forestry.

Document No. 447/SNN.KL of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported to the Provincial People's Committee on handling the case of forest land encroachment on August 2, 2019 in Long Thanh hamlet. Photo: Nhat Lan

Previously, Mr. Ha Van Ngoan was a resident who received a contract with Dong Hop Forestry in the form of a joint venture at lots D7, D8 (Sub-area 278) and authorized Mr. Nguyen Tien Canh, residing in Bac Son hamlet, Tam Hop commune, to continue using it.

On May 15, 2019, Mr. Nguyen Tien Canh completed the liquidation procedures but did not sign a new contract with the forestry farm. On August 2, 2019, Mr. Nguyen Tien Canh and 50-60 people replanted 5 hectares of acacia on the above area, causing a conflict with the forest owner, Dong Hop Forestry Farm.

After receiving the news, the leaders of the People's Committee of Quy Hop district directly went to the locality to have a dialogue, directed agencies, departments and branches to participate in propaganda, mobilization and persuasion work; made a record of suspension pending the competent authorities to handle it according to regulations; The Standing Committee of the District Party Committee directed the investigation agency of the District Police to verify the violation; The People's Committee of Quy Hop district established working groups headed by the Chairman of the District People's Committee to direct the settlement of the case.

On September 9, the District Party Secretary, comrades in the Standing Committee and leaders of relevant units participated in a dialogue with the people of Long Thanh hamlet chaired by the Chairman of the District People's Committee.

Dialogue on September 9 between Quy Hop District People's Committee and Long Thanh hamlet residents. Photo: Nhat Lan

Through dialogue between the government and the people of Long Thanh hamlet, it was determined that the basic cause of encroachment was that the land allocation plan according to Decision No. 212/QD-UBND.DC of the Provincial People's Committee assigned to the people of Long Thanh hamlet was not in the correct location, the allocated area was not enough; the people said that the encroached area above and some other locations were areas that people had reclaimed and restored since 1981 until now.

The above petitions of Long Thanh hamlet citizens were directly responded to by the authorities at the dialogue session, Official Dispatch No. 77/UBND dated July 29, 2019 of Tam Hop Commune People's Committee; Notice No. 218/TB-UBND dated August 12, 2019 and Official Dispatch No. 713/UBND-TN.NN dated August 27, 2019 of Quy Hop District People's Committee.

Thus, after the incident, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district had many urgent and continuous activities to handle the incident. The Standing Committee of the District Party Committee and the leaders of the District People's Committee directly directed relevant departments, branches and sectors to coordinate in propagating, mobilizing, dialogue, and directing resolute and specific handling.

On August 30, 2019, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district issued Decision No. 1459/QD-UBND on administrative sanctions in the field of land against Mr. Nguyen Tien Canh (born in 1978) for the act of "Occupying production forest land" of Dong Hop Forestry Farm.

Leaders of Quy Hop District People's Committee mobilized and propagandized Long Thanh residents at the scene of the encroachment of acacia forest land on August 2, 2019. Photo: Huy Nham

Currently, the security and order situation in Tam Hop commune has basically stabilized; monitoring, propaganda and dialogue work continues to be carried out; the parties no longer have any moves to cause conflict.

Regarding the implementation results of Decision No. 212/QD-UBND.DC, document No. 447/SNN-KL clearly states:

Quy Hop District People's Committee has recovered from Dong Hop Forest Farm and Quy Hop Forest Farm a total area of ​​3,835.87 hectares. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment presided over and coordinated with Quy Hop District People's Committee, forest owners and related communes to organize the on-site handover of the recovered area to the District People's Committee for management and use. After receiving the recovered land from the forest farm, the People's Committees of the communes reviewed and made plans to allocate land to households for management and use according to regulations.

In Tam Hop commune, the boundary and land in the field were received with an area of ​​67.77 hectares and shown in the Land Allocation Minutes dated November 2, 2012 between Tam Hop Commune People's Committee - Quy Hop District People's Committee - Dong Hop Forestry Farm.

In Long Thanh hamlet alone, 48.29 hectares were received according to Decision 212 and returned. After checking, it was discovered that 4.7 hectares were in the wrong location (in fact, Son Thanh hamlet and Dinh hamlet), so the remaining area is 43.59 hectares. Tam Hop commune People's Committee held a meeting with the hamlet to agree and make a plan to allocate 35.01 hectares according to the current status to 32 households currently using the land. The remaining area of ​​16.7 hectares is the area of ​​ponds, cemeteries, roads and encroached land (citizens of Nghia Hung commune have encroached on it for a long time), so it is not included in the land allocation subject and the commune People's Committee did not include it in the allocation plan.

Currently, the People's Committee of Quy Hop district has measured cadastral maps, prepared documents and is carrying out procedures to decide on land allocation and issue Land Use Right Certificates according to regulations.

Long Thanh hamlet residents speak at the dialogue on September 9. Photo: Nhat Lan

Thus, the result of implementing Decision 212 in Long Thanh hamlet is that 35.01 ha has been allocated, fully allocated to 32 households according to the current land use status; The land handover minutes between Tam Hop Commune People's Committee have been confirmed by the Hamlet Executive Committee, established with each household in Long Thanh hamlet in December 2013, so there is no situation of wrong allocation.

On the other hand, according to statistics from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quy Hop district, the average land area allocated to households in Long Thanh hamlet is 1.06 ha/household, which is the largest when compared to the average of neighboring hamlets, such as: Dinh hamlet 0.87 ha/household; Tan Thanh hamlet 0.37 ha/household. Regarding the encroached area of ​​households from Nghia Hung commune, because the encroached area falls within the scope of regulations in Point b, Clause 2, Article 15, Decree 118/2014/ND-CP, it can continue to be used in the form of land allocation without collecting land use fees or land lease, without being recovered to Long Thanh hamlet.

Regarding solutions for handling in the coming time, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development proposed that the Provincial People's Committee direct the People's Committee of Quy Hop district to direct relevant agencies and units to continue to do a good job of propaganda, mobilization, dialogue, and persuasion of people to strictly comply with the Land Law and the Forestry Law, not to let land encroachment, transfer, and authorization occur in violation of regulations, and to encourage joint ventures and associations with the Forestry Department to jointly protect and develop forests and increase household economic income.

Continue to review and develop a land allocation plan for the recovered area according to Decision No. 203/QD-UBND.DC dated April 12, 2018, promptly complete land allocation procedures, issue land use right certificates according to Decision No. 212 for people to stabilize production. Strictly handle organizations and individuals related to the incident that occurred on August 2, 2019 at Lot D7, D8, Sub-area 278.

For the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, preside and coordinate with the People's Committee of Quy Hop district and the People's Committee of Tam Hop commune, based on the land recovery records in Decision No. 212; records and minutes of field boundary handover with households witnessed by the Long Thanh hamlet Executive Committee to issue Land Use Right Certificates; coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to direct and implement the forest allocation project in Quy Hop district.

Representatives of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quy Hop district show the boundaries of land areas on the map attached to Decision 203 to the people of Long Thanh hamlet. Photo: Nhat Lan

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development continues to closely coordinate with the People's Committee of Quy Hop district, Song Hieu Forestry One Member Co., Ltd. and related units to completely resolve the case of land encroachment for acacia plantation in Quy Hop district; direct affiliated units to conduct forest allocation, land allocation associated with forest allocation according to Project No. 4213/QD.UBND, dated September 20, 2018 on approving the project of forest allocation, associated with forestry land allocation and granting of Land Use Right Certificates to households, individuals, and communities in the area, period 2018 - 2021, in Quy Hop district.