On the morning of April 4, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City met with relevant districts to review preparations for key transport projects such as: Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai Expressway; 4 projects to upgrade and expand National Highways 1, 13, 22, North - South axis road.
This is to speed up compensation, site clearance, identify affected households, prepare land funds and resettlement apartments, etc.
4 projects to upgrade National Highways 1, 13, 22 and the North-South axis road will be implemented under the BOT (build - operate - transfer) form according to Resolution 98 of the National Assembly.
According to the latest update from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City, these projects are expected to reclaim land from about 4,730 households, of which 2,452 households were cleared.
The project National Highway 1 upgrade and expansion project from Kinh Duong Vuong Street to the border of Long An province, passes through Binh Tan district and Binh Chanh district.
The total estimated investment capital is about VND 16,285 billion, of which the cost of compensation and site clearance alone has reached VND 9,611 billion.
This project will use about 140.72 hectares of land, with 2,140 households in Binh Chanh district affected, of which 1,761 households must be completely relocated. In Binh Tan district, 101 households were affected, of which 61 households were cleared.
National Highway 13, the section from Binh Trieu Bridge to the border of Binh Duong Province, has been expanded with a total investment of VND 20,900 billion, of which more than VND 14,619 billion is for compensation and site clearance.
The project will occupy about 39.54 hectares of land, affecting 1,091 households. Of which, 238 households will have to be completely cleared, the remaining 853 households will be partially affected.
National Highway 22, the section from An Suong intersection to Ring Road 3, passing through Hoc Mon district and District 12, will be expanded with a budget of VND10,451 billion, of which more than VND6,234 billion is for compensation and resettlement.
The total area of affected land is 49.25 hectares, of which 16.6 hectares need to be cleared in Hoc Mon district. The project will affect 1,362 households, of which 392 households will be cleared. In District 12, the project does not affect any households.
The North-South axis road upgrade project (Nguyen Huu Tho Street), from Nguyen Van Linh Street to Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway, with a total capital of VND 9,894 billion. The cost of compensation for site clearance and relocation of technical infrastructure is 1,426 billion VND.
The project will affect 36 households, including 19 households in District 7 (in the area of Nguyen Van Linh intersection) and 17 households in Nha Be district.
Mr. Vo Trung Truc - Deputy Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City - said that if these urgent projects are not approved and boundaries are determined before July 1, it will be difficult to implement compensation and site clearance.
Currently, the Chairman of the District People's Committee is taking on the role of Chairman of the Compensation Council.
However, after July 1, when Ho Chi Minh City merged administrative boundaries and no longer has district level, the organization of a new apparatus - in which it is not clear how many administrative units will be divided into wards - will make the legal basis for land recovery no longer valid.
"Therefore, it is necessary to urgently complete the dossier to implement compensation work before June 30 to ensure progress" - Mr. Truc said.
