Quickly resolve the problems of TH raw material areas and Yen Thanh people

(Baonghean) - TH Raw Material Development Investment Joint Stock Company in the Northeast of Nghe An (Lang Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh) has carried out compensation for land acquisition and clearance; however, some households have "forestry land allocation papers" that hinder the production and business process of the Company.

The problem is to remove difficulties, hand over clean land to investors and resolve problems of households so that both sides benefit.

In 2012, Nghe An Provincial People's Committee allowed TH Group to invest in expanding the dairy cow farming project converted from Youth Volunteer Team 6 in Lang Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District and assigned TH Raw Material Development Investment Joint Stock Company in the Northeast of Nghe An to implement the project.

Mr. Nguyen Si Da - Director of TH Raw Material Development Investment Joint Stock Company in the Northeast region said: After the Youth Volunteer Team 6 was handed over to TH Group, we have conducted compensation and site clearance of over 280 billion VND with an area of ​​2,167 hectares. However, in the past 2 years, 12 households have hindered the production and business process for investors in the areas of Nha Dua, Da Den, Lang Thanh and Kim Thanh communes.

There are 5 households in Lang Thanh commune illegally burning some areas of the Company. In the past 2 years, 8 households in Kim Thanh commune have planted trees on an area of ​​45 hectares of the Company. We have reported to the local authorities of Kim Thanh commune many times to resolve the issue, but without success. On April 24, 2017, the family of Ms. Tran Thi Nghia in Kim Thanh commune mobilized more than 20 people to plant trees on the Company's land. We requested that the tree planting be stopped. But on April 30, Ms. Nghia continued to mobilize more than 30 people to plant trees.

People of Kim Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) go to Nha Dua forest to plant trees. Photo: Van Truong

Mr. Nguyen Si Da added: The above households all have forestry land allocation papers according to Decree 02-CP dated15/1/1994The problem is that in 2003, the Provincial People's Committee allocated land to the 6th Youth Volunteer Team with over 3,000 hectares, which overlapped some of the local forestry land, but the authorities did not compensate the local people for land acquisition to allocate the land to the 6th Youth Volunteer Team.

Later, when the Youth Volunteer Force 6 was transferred to TH Group, the Group compensated for land acquisition and clearance for the Youth Volunteer Force 6. Therefore, we hope that the relevant authorities will quickly investigate clearly, so that we can have a clean land to carry out production and business without affecting the rights of the people.

On the people's side, through discussion, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan in Nha Dua hamlet, Kim Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) - one of the households complaining, said: My family was assigned 173.4 hectares of forest land, on the day14/4/1998, I have received 7 forest registers. In 2003, the 6th Youth Volunteer Team returned to the locality, coordinated with the Commune People's Committee to borrow land for gardening and hill economy, but did not go through the people and there was no decision to reclaim the land from the competent authority. Currently, of the 173.4 hectares of land in the forest registers all under the name of my husband, Nguyen Van Dong, we are using more than 20 hectares, the remaining 153 hectares of forest land are currently used by TH Group.

Our wish is for the authorities and sectors to resolve the issue so that we can get back the above land... Ms. Tran Thi Nghia, also from Nha Dua hamlet, Kim Thanh commune, shared: In 1998, we had a decision to transfer the right to use forestry land with 2.6 hectares. Since 2003, the Youth Volunteer Team 6 has taken our land. Because we had no land for production, we went to this land to plant acacia trees and had a collision with people from TH Group.

The total area granted forest land registration certificates to 8 households in Kim Thanh commune in the disputed area is over 250 hectares, in which the household with the largest disputed land area is Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan with 173.4 hectares, Mr. Nguyen Phuc Hoa: 63 hectares, Mr. Hoang Vu Phuong: 21 hectares... According to the households, at the time of land handover, forestry officers from the provincial, district and commune levels came to hand over the land, mainly to distribute plots for marking, so this time is to verify the location of their land.

Mr. Nguyen Van Quan - Chairman of Kim Thanh Commune People's Committee said: The commune has propagated and mobilized people not to plant trees on the project land, but the situation is still complicated, many people still deliberately plant acacia and cajuput on this land. Therefore, the functional sector needs to have a plan to resolve land disputes and stabilize security in the area.

Forest land cover of some households. Photo: Van Truong

Faced with the above situation, the Provincial People's Committee and Yen Thanh District People's Committee held a meeting to discuss solutions to overcome the difficulties. On March 25, 2016, the Provincial People's Committee issued Notice No. 170/TB-UBND on the Conclusion of Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Viet Duong (now Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council) at the meeting on citizens' complaints related to compensation for site clearance at the 6th Youth Volunteer Team.

On September 24, 2016, the District People's Committee also issued Conclusion No. 195/TB-UBND at the meeting to handle problems in site clearance at the Youth Volunteer Team 6. On March 8, 2017, the Yen Thanh District People's Committee issued Notice No. 34/TB-UBND on the conclusion of the Chairman of the District People's Committee at the meeting to handle problems in site clearance at the TH Group project. However, up to this point, the above situation has not been completely resolved.

Mr. Phan Van Tuyen - Chairman of Yen Thanh District People's Committee added: In fact, the land area that people are disputing with TH Group's project all has forestry land titles. The conflict is that in 2003, the province allocated land to the 6th Youth Volunteer Team but did not check whether some land areas had forestry land titles or not, leading to overlapping land allocations and people demanding their rights.

To resolve the above situation, the District People's Committee will first review the overlapping land areas of households, and determine whether the field is consistent with the granted records. After the review is completed, it will submit its opinion to the Provincial People's Committee for handling. During this time, the district will coordinate with the People's Committees of Kim Thanh and Lang Thanh communes to propagate and mobilize people not to obstruct investors, ensure security and order while waiting for the relevant agencies to thoroughly resolve the issue.

Currently, investors are in dire need of “clean” land for production and business to ensure progress, while people are demanding their rights. Competent authorities need to promptly investigate and clarify to stabilize the situation.

Hai An