Resettlement of Cha Lau - a way to please the people
(Baonghean.vn) Going to Que Phong this time, Nguyen Ba Hien, Deputy Head of the Rural and Mountainous Areas Committee, took me to visit the Cha Lau Resettlement Area, invested by the committee and just completed in 2010. According to Mr. Hien, this is the most effective project ever.
The flash flood in 2007 in Nam Giai commune swept away dozens of houses, dozens of people died, then the district decided to urgently evacuate households living along rivers and streams, where there was a high risk of flash floods, to protect people's lives. More than 150 households were subject to relocation. Cha Lau Valley was one of two locations chosen by the district to be a resettlement area. Having determined the location, the committee hired a consulting unit to survey and prepare a project to submit to the Provincial People's Committee for approval. While constructing and mobilizing people to relocate, in just 2 years 2009 - 2010, 50 households scattered along Nam Giai stream were relocated to new places.
Cha Lau resettlement area.
According to Mr. Nguyen Ba Hien, this is a low-investment project. In addition to building infrastructure, each household receives 20 million VND. Of which, 18 million is in kind and 2 million in cash. Right from the beginning of implementation, the committee also encountered many difficulties, which is the lack of consensus from the relocated households. With a persistent approach, both mobilizing and persuading on the basis of protecting the maximum benefits for each household, the cadres had to stand on the people's side to mobilize, choosing prestigious people such as village elders and the elderly to persuade. After seeing that the cadres spoke reasonably, Mr. Luong Thanh Long and Ha Van Nhan - one of the oldest people in the village, volunteered to move their house to a new place. On the day of moving, the committee's cadres also came to help, the atmosphere was like a festival, which influenced other households. In less than a year, 50 households voluntarily moved their houses to the new village. Not only housing, but 191 hectares of production land (including rice fields, fertile land, and upland land) were divided among households according to the number of people. 158 hectares of forest land for growing industrial crops were handed over to the people so that they could start production immediately...
In addition to the food support according to regulations, the majority of people wanted to receive cows and ducks, which are animals they have experience with. The people's wishes were met, and they were excited to start building a new life. When we visited, looking at the golden fields of ripe rice, every family had a lush vegetable garden, and banana bushes growing in the late autumn sun, a new confidence was exuded. Talking to us, Village Chief Luong Van Tue said: "In the new village, the roads are clear, there is electricity, and the children have a stable place to study. There is no worry about heavy rain, flash floods, or landslides... the people are very secure with their new life, quickly stabilizing production to develop the economy."
According to Que Phong district's assessment, the most successful aspect of the project is finding a common voice. When building the project, we tried to meet the legitimate needs of the people right from the time of choosing the location. All policies must be public and transparent, everything about the rights of the people must be clearly listed. Support must be timely to meet the progress. Project management staff must go deep, get close to the people to understand their thoughts and aspirations... That is the lesson learned from the success of the Cha Lau Resettlement Area, Nam Giai Commune, Que Phong District.
Mr. Tuan
