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Resettlement effort picks up pace
Resettlement of residents displaced by the Son La Hydroelectric Power Plant, Viet Nam’s largest power project, has been well implemented but remains behind schedule.
The comment was made yesterday at a National Assembly Standing Committee Supervision Group meeting to evaluate the project’s implementation.
A Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development report states that about 13,000 out of 20,000 households in the north-western provinces of Dien Bien, Son La and Lai Chau have been relocated to new residences. This number represents 61 per cent of the target, which is scheduled to be completed by next July.
According to a survey administered in 10 resettlement areas, the project has empowered the locals and contributed to stabilising the lives and production capabilities of the residents at their new homes.
The group also said that infrastructure in the new residences has been gradually improved in order to meet basic needs, maintain the traditions and customs of minority ethnic groups and consolidate the political system.
The Phong Tho Town resettlement area in Lai Chau Province, 500km from Ha Noi, has provided new residents with good living and production conditions.
Chairman of the Phong Tho Town People’s Committee Ha Manh Thang reported that more than 800 residents from Lai Chau Province’s district of Sin Ho are enjoying their new homes. They have been provided with quality infrastructure such as roads, schools, cultural houses and utilities.
Dieu Van Suong, an ethnic Thai resident of the Phong Tho resettlement area, could not hide his excitement at using electrical equipment, as there was no electricity in his old village.
"Of the VND100 million (US$5,700) in sponsorship and compensation from the State, we have spent VND80 million on construction of a new furnished house and the purchase of seeds and breeding animals. The rest of the money has been put in the bank for our future," said Suong.
"Besides 400 square metres for a residence, each household was allotted 200 square metres of farming land, allowing us to gradually settle down and improve our agricultural production", Suong’s wife Lo Thi Anh added.
Thang reported that the local authority was distributing an extra 60 hectares of farming land to the households in order to meet the new residents’ agricultural production demands. He also stressed the importance of promoting side jobs, such as handicrafts, after the harvest to improve living standards among the residents.
"Quality of life, especially children’s education, will be particularly important because the residents are being faced with new traditions and customs in their new place," he added.
Lai Chau is expected to be the first province to complete the resettlement process. Provincial authorities estimate that the project would be complete by May.
Shortcomings
The supervisory group notes a number of project shortcomings that have contributed to the delays.
Capital shortage is a significant problem. The Government ratified VND6.5 trillion ($371 million) for the project, including VND3.5 trillion in Government bonds. The rest would be provided by the Electricity of Viet Nam (EVN), which still owes the project VND1.72 trillion ($10 million). Resolutions to this matter are being discussed by EVN and the Viet Nam Development Bank, which might provide capital support.
Party Committee Secretary of Muong Lay Town in Dien Bien Province Nguyen Quoc Tuan said: " We have moved 4,000 households to the new residences, but there are still 1,000 that need to be relocated. The process has been delayed only because of capital shortage."
Additionally, authorities have paid too much attention to infrastructure construction instead of production land planning. The delay in farming land distribution has led to living and production challenges.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, approximately 4,300 households have been resettled so far among the three provinces, with 5,100 hectares of production land allotted.
A shortage of staff is another reason for the delay. Only 51 staff are assigned to work on the resettlement of more than 3,000 households, or more than 12,000 people, said Nguyen Quoc Quan, Vice Director of the Management Committee for the Inhabitant Emigration and Resettlement Project of Muong Lay Town.
"The staff are recruited from other local administrative agencies, and it seems that no one is applying for jobs here because the salary and other policies are inadequate," he added.
Hoang Van Phanh, a temporary resident of Na Lat Village of Muong Lay Town while he waits to be resettled, expects the project to be completed promptly so that his family and other residents can settle down and stabilise production. "We hope to have a new house before the rainy season comes," Phanh said.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ho Xuan Hung said that the most important thing is to ensure stabilisation of long-term production for the residents. "In terms of emigration and resettlement, we have to concentrate on investing not only in infrastructure but also in production land, as well as for the traditions and customs of the residents," he said.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News
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