Waited until death still did not receive red book
In 2020, the Ninh Phu market project (Ninh Hoa town) came into operation. Since then, the local government has not yet resolved the issue of exchanging agricultural land for the market for 8 households here.
To build Ninh Phu market, instead of following the land acquisition process, compensation procedures, site clearance, etc., the commune government decided to swap land with local people in 2016. Specifically, the plots of land at the market construction site will be acquired and swapped with a corresponding production plot nearby.
Ms. Phan Thi Rom (Van Dinh village, Ninh Phu commune) provided reporters with a file containing land plot number 244, on map sheet number 2, with an area of 1,130 square meters. This is an agricultural plot of land that was granted a land use right certificate by the authorities in 1999.
Ms. Rom said that in 2016, Ninh Phu commune mobilized people to exchange land to build a market. This was a suitable policy to help change the economic and social face of the locality, so people agreed and handed over agricultural land to build a market.
According to the plan, Ninh Phu commune will exchange another plot of land for Mrs. Rom's family with the same recovered area, at plot number 6, map sheet number 6.
“After the market was built, we went to the commune to request a red book for the newly exchanged land so we could cultivate with peace of mind, but we received no response. The commune repeatedly made empty promises and did not fulfill its commitment to exchange land for the people,” said Ms. Phan Thi Rom.
Most of the 8 households whose land was exchanged to build Ninh Phu market are elderly, some of whom are now deceased. Most of them hope that after the land exchange, the commune will soon issue red books so that they can trade and produce stably.
As in the case of Ms. Nguyen Thi Khieu (Ninh Phu commune), who passed away in August 2024. After her mother passed away, her son, Do Hong Phuc, continued to petition the authorities to issue a certificate to complete the legal documents for the new plot of land as soon as possible. "My mother and everyone's biggest wish is to be granted a red book for trading or transferring. We suffered a loss when handing over the land to the state to build a market," Mr. Phuc shared.
Many violations in land acquisition process
In 2014, Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Council passed a resolution to reclaim land for socio-economic development for the benefit of the nation and the community, including a plan to build a new market in Ninh Phu commune, with an area of 0.48 hectares.
From 2015 to 2021, Ninh Phu commune and Ninh Hoa town respectively carried out procedures for approving investment policies; approving plans for selecting construction contractors; acceptance, handover for use and final settlement. It is worth noting that although the above procedures have been completed, the land recovery, compensation and support for households whose rice fields are affected have not been completed.
This project has not been registered in the list of works and projects implemented and is not included in the resolution on rice land recovery projects of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Council.
Ms. Pham Nguyet Anh - Chairman of Ninh Phu Commune People's Committee - said that the commune has so far reported to Ninh Hoa Town People's Committee about 8 cases of exchanging agricultural land for market construction with a total area of 4,870m2. According to Ms. Nguyet Anh, the locality was previously negligent in not having a plan report sent to the town as well as submitting to Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Council to issue a resolution to reclaim rice land to build Ninh Phu market.
When asked about which agency approved the policy of exchanging people's land to build a market, Ninh Phu Commune Chairman Pham Nguyet Anh admitted that no competent agency agreed. As for the specific incident, Ms. Nguyet Anh could not remember clearly and it could be the subjective fault of the state management agency. Meanwhile, the leader of Ninh Hoa town said that he had assigned the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to review the land exchange to build Ninh Phu market.
