Lack of transparency in compensation for land acquisition and clearance of power system in Quynh Vinh commune

(Baonghean) - Nghe An Newspaper received a petition from voters of Quynh Vinh Commune (Hoang Mai Town) reflecting that the compensation and site clearance work for the 0.4kw low-voltage power system of the Tan Thang Cement Factory Road Project showed signs of lack of transparency.

The town inspector's report is not accurate?

According to the feedback of voters in Quynh Vinh commune, before the election of National Assembly and People's Council deputies, Quynh Vinh commune was abuzz with the story of Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao - a candidate for the People's Council at the commune level, spending his own money to build a 0.4kw low-voltage power line nearly 1km long for households in the Doi Tuong lake area (from the transformer station in hamlet 1 running along the road of the Tan Thang Cement Factory Project) with a total cost of about 50 million VND.

The power lines leading to the houses of the residents of Doi Tuong are sagging and patchy in many places.

However, after the election day, information was revealed that the cost of building that power line was not paid by Mr. Thao himself, but was actually compensation for site clearance for the Tan Thang Cement Factory Road Project implemented since 2012 (115 million VND).

The reason Mr. Thao built the power line was because the compensation had been kept secret for more than 4 years, and was exposed before the election. Voters in Quynh Vinh commune requested: “The competent authorities need to investigate and clarify this matter. If the person involved is clean, he should be commended, if he violates the law, he should be punished according to regulations…”.

In response to the information reported by voters of Quynh Vinh commune, the local government is taking action to clarify the matter. In July 2016, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai town issued report No. 661/UBND-TTr on the results of handling petitions from citizens of Quynh Vinh commune.

According to the report, the 0.4kw low voltage power line running along the Tan Thang Cement Factory Project road to the houses of households in the Doi Tuong lake area was built with their own money by 4 households (including Mr. Le Tran Trang, Nguyen Van Chuong, Van Sy Hoang, Le Thac Manh) for use.

In 2009, implementing the policy of handing over the rural power grid, Vinh Hoa Agricultural Service and Electricity Cooperative, chaired by Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao, handed over the entire power grid of the Cooperative to Quynh Luu Electricity, including the 0.4kw low-voltage power line of the above households.

In 2011, when implementing the project to build a road to Tan Thang Cement Factory, the Compensation Council for Land Acquisition and Clearance in Quynh Luu prepared a compensation file and relocated the power line worth 115,083 million VND. The representative of the Cooperative, Chairman Nguyen Huu Thao, stood up to receive the money and proceed with the construction and relocation of the power line.

The electrical system has a section that is not secure.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao reported to the Inspectorate of Hoang Mai Town that after receiving the compensation, he used it to relocate, repair, and replace the power lines in two phases. The first phase was implemented in 2012 with the amount of 87,270 million VND; the second phase was implemented in 2016 (after the power lines were degraded) with the amount of 44,630 million VND. The total cost of both phases was 138.8 million VND.

Inspector of Hoang Mai Town has worked with relevant people to confirm that the number of poles and electric wires has been inventoried by the Compensation Council of Quynh Luu Land Acquisition and Clearance. Checking the current status of the entire line, there are 19 concrete poles of 6.5m type; A25 wire with 4 strands as reported by Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao, ensuring stable use. Because the number of concrete poles, wooden poles, ceramic poles, electric wires as inventoried is real; The Compensation Council determined the compensation value to move the electric line out of the scope of land acquisition and clearance is correct according to Decree 197/2004/ND-CP of the Government on compensation, support and resettlement when the State acquires land.

Currently, all electric poles and power lines have been relocated, renewed and used safely and stably, so the Inspectorate of Hoang Mai Town determined that the citizens' claim that Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao and some related people created fake power line records with the amount of 115,083 million VND to divide among themselves is unfounded.

Need to be objective and fair

After the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town reported, many people said that the verification and conclusion of the Hoang Mai Town Inspectorate were not accurate.

Through actual inspection, it was found that the 0.4kw low voltage power line running along the road to Tan Thang Cement Factory, 1.2km long, was invested in and built by 4 households including Mr. Le Tran Trang, Mr. Nguyen Van Chuong, Mr. Van Sy Hoang, and Mr. Le Thac Manh. During the phase of transferring the rural power grid system of Quynh Vinh commune to Quynh Luu Electricity for management, all 4 households were not informed.

In 2012, when the Compensation Council of Quynh Luu District carried out the site clearance for the road project to Tan Thang Cement Factory, they conducted a detailed inventory of the entire power line system for compensation, but all four households were not present. Instead, the representative of the Cooperative, Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao, was also the head of the household (as shown in the inventory record of the current status of the Compensation Council of Quynh Luu District made on February 25, 2012).

The inventory and compensation valuation report that the four households involved were not mentioned.

On April 9, 2012, the Compensation Council for Land Acquisition and Site Clearance of Quynh Luu District determined the compensation value for the 0.4kw low voltage power line to be 115,083 million VND. Once again, all 4 households that invested in building the power line were not informed. Instead, Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao was both the representative of the village electricity committee and the head of the household to receive the money!

According to the inventory record and compensation value determination record of the Compensation Council of Quynh Luu district, all materials of the power line were calculated correctly and sufficiently for compensation. However, through verification, in 2012, this power line was only moved by Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao and some workers, and there was no new investment.

In addition, because previously there were few low-voltage stations in Quynh Vinh commune, the power line of 4 households to Doi Tuong economic zone was 1.2km long with 30 concrete poles. By 2012, Quynh Vinh commune had installed many low-voltage stations; because there was a power station nearby, when the relocation was implemented, the length of the power line was reduced to more than 600m. However, the materials for electric poles, wires and unused accessories were not returned to the 4 households that invested in the construction.

In 2015, the power line to Tuong hill collapsed, causing a power outage. Four households who complained to the commune were told they had to report to the Electricity Department; when asked about the compensation for site clearance carried out in 2012, they did not receive a clear answer; meanwhile, those responsible for the Electricity Department in Hoang Mai town also did not know anything about this issue.

In early 2016, when households submitted a petition to the commune and town authorities, it was not until April 2016 that Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao organized the reconstruction of the power line. However, upon inspection, only 9 concrete poles and about 300m of power line were newly installed; along the entire line, there were many locations using old power lines with many seams and sagging...

Learning about the settlement of petitions from households in Tuong Hill, it is known that in early 2016, the People's Committee of Quynh Vinh Commune and the People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town also responded in writing to households in Tuong Hill about the compensation for power lines that the Compensation Council for Land Acquisition and Clearance of Quynh Luu carried out in 2012, stating that doing so was in accordance with regulations (?).

In my opinion, with the above information, the inspection, verification and conclusion of the Inspectorate of Hoang Mai Town stated in report No. 661 are not accurate and do not ensure objectivity. The contents of compensation and site clearance of the Compensation Council for Land Clearance of Quynh Luu for the power line to the Doi Tuong area; the financial management of the amount of 115,083 million VND from 2012 to 2016; the implementation of the relocation and investment in the construction of the power line in 2012 and 2016 by Mr. Nguyen Huu Thao... have not been answered clearly and transparently.

Therefore, we request the City Party Committee and People's Committee of Hoang Mai Town to direct local functional agencies to continue to inspect and clarify, respond to voters and report to superior agencies.

Article and photos:Nhat Lan