The problem of compensation and site clearance for the Hua Na Hydropower project has not been completely resolved.

On the morning of December 8, continuing the 4th session of the 18th Provincial People's Council, term 2021-2026, the Provincial People's Council delegates discussed in the hall.

Comrades: Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Nam Dinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Nhu Khoi - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council chaired the discussion session.

Attending the discussion session were comrades: Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; comrades of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial Party Executive Committee, delegates of the 18th Provincial People's Council;...

The 4th session of the 18th Provincial People's Council, term 2021-2026. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Entering the discussion session, the Chairman of the meeting asked the Directors of some departments and branches to answer and discuss the contents discussed by the delegates in the group.

Regarding the issue of providing electricity to villages in remote areas, Mr. Pham Van Hoa - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade said that from 2016 to now, the whole province has had 157 villages and hamlets supplied with electricity, out of a total of 273 villages and hamlets without electricity (including Mat Island), according to the project approved in Decision No. 9781 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade with a total investment of about 800 billion VND.

According to the Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, the whole province currently has 115 villages, hamlets and Mat Island without electricity. Of these, 76 villages and hamlets are scheduled to be supplied with electricity in 2022; 24 villages, hamlets and Mat Island are implementing the Government's Program 1740, which has been proposed for support to be implemented in 2022. The Department of Industry and Trade is coordinating with the Provincial Electricity to review and complete investment preparation procedures for implementation in 2022.

Mr. Pham Van Hoa - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade answered the delegates' concerns. Photo: Thanh Cuong

"The 15 villages and hamlets that have not had electricity after Project 9781 have been proposed by the Provincial People's Committee to the Ministry of Industry and Trade to continue to supplement after Project 9781 is completed," said Mr. Hoa.

Regarding the existing problems and difficulties in the compensation and site clearance work of the Hua Na Hydropower Project, Mr. Pham Van Hoa said that on January 27, 2021, the Provincial People's Committee issued a document to direct the focus on resolving the existing problems and difficulties. The biggest problem at present is in the compensation plan to deduct the value of land use rights between the departure and destination places to have a basis for payment to people and the allocation of agricultural and forestry land to resettled people.

Regarding compensation for site clearance, Mr. Hoa said that on July 2, 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued a document on handling the difference in agricultural land prices between the departure and arrival locations of the Hua Na Hydropower resettlement project. On that basis, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 4850 dated July 14, 2021, assigning the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Que Phong district to implement.

However, up to now, Hua Na Hydropower Joint Stock Company and Que Phong district have not agreed on a deduction plan for implementation. On October 15, 2021, the Provincial People's Committee issued a document directing to focus on resolving existing problems and difficulties. Currently, Que Phong district is actively implementing.

People of Pieng Van - Na Chao village (Huoi Cha La resettlement area) petitioned the competent authority to request the investor of Hua Na hydropower project to completely resolve the issue of compensation and site clearance. Photo: Nhat Lan

Regarding the work of allocating agricultural land to people affected by the project, the forest allocation in the field has been completed corresponding to the resettlement land allocation dossier with 570 certificates, including 560 resettled households and 10 local households. For 318 resettled households, the Branch of the Land Use Rights Registration Office continues to check, appraise and direct the consulting unit to complete the dossier.

Regarding forestry land allocation, land has been allocated to people at resettlement sites in the field. However, it must be reclaimed according to Directive 13, in which the area of ​​67.39 hectares of natural forest has been converted for land use purposes; 184.5 hectares, the Provincial People's Committee is directing to consider adjusting out of forestry land for the area of ​​land that no longer has natural forest and adjusting and adding it to the structure of 3 types of forest.

Clarifying further on the shortcomings of the Hua Na Hydropower Project, Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet - Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said that in 2020, the Provincial People's Committee reported to the Government and the Government assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to advise and guide Nghe An province. However, due to unclear provisions of the law, the guiding documents are also unclear.

Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet - Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment answered questions of concern to delegates. Photo: Thanh Cuong

Currently, the problem related to handling the difference in agricultural land value between the departure and arrival locations at the Hua Na Hydropower Project has not been resolved yet, there are 2 viewpoints. The viewpoint of Que Phong District, the competent authority approving the compensation plan for land acquisition and clearance is to deduct each type of land. The viewpoint of Hua Na Hydropower Company is to deduct the total departure and arrival locations. The difference in value of the 2 options is tentatively estimated at about 15-17 billion VND.

Affirming that the Provincial People's Committee is very concerned about this issue, Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet - Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said that the Department has reported 2 options to the Provincial People's Committee: First is to study the experience of solving the problem in provinces with hydropower plants. Second is to continue to send a document requesting the Government and relevant ministries to provide clearer instructions on this content.

Responding to the delegate's opinion: The land allocation of farms and forestry farms to people is slow, with many difficulties and problems: surveying costs, paperwork procedures..., Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet said that, regarding the surveying work, after the District People's Committee approves the land use plan, it will send a report to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to advise the Provincial People's Committee to establish a technical design and estimate to conduct cadastral map surveying.

Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet said that currently, some localities are making plans for land use and requested that districts with land areas recovered from agricultural and forestry farms should soon make plans for land use. Regarding the measurement of agricultural and forestry land, after the Prime Minister's Decision, the Department of Finance and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment are coordinating to advise the Provincial People's Committee on implementation./.