Stuck in a suspended planning area
Mr. Le Tan Ngon (93 years old) from Trung Toan village, Tam Quang commune, Nui Thanh district, Quang Nam province slowly opened the gate when a stranger asked him questions. It was called a gate but in fact it was just a few pieces of bamboo tied loosely together, making a rustling sound.
“There have never been any strangers in this village. Look around here, the houses are shabby and dilapidated, the roads are bumpy, dusty in the sun and flooded in the rain. Electric wires are tangled on bamboo poles like spider webs…” – the old man whispered.
More than 20 years ago, the people of Trung Toan village had great expectations and hopes when the Ky Ha Port Administrative Area project was implemented in 2003. However, after all this time, this project is still at a standstill. As a result, the village is "forgotten", with no investment in infrastructure, degraded and old houses mixed with deserted and deserted houses.
Mr. Ngon confided that when the project was implemented, the people all agreed with the government's policy. 50 households were affected but only 22 were relocated, then the project "stalled", leaving 28 households "living a miserable life" in the suspended planning area.
"My family was given compensation and a resettlement plot, but after that, there was no movement. My 8 children grew up and reached the age of marriage, but they all left the village to find a living, because there is no future here" - Mr. Ngon sadly said.
What does the government say?
Sharing the same situation, Ms. Le Thi Le (53 years old) lamented that her family had built a level 4 house a long time ago, but now that her children are grown up, they do not dare to expand it. The households that were relocated have now stabilized their lives, while those who stayed behind have suffered too many disadvantages.
“The family gave us land to build a house, but they (the government - PV) did not give us a red book. Now we have many children, so we have to build a temporary house. As for electricity, more than ten households share one power line, which is too weak. When we ask for separate power, the electricity company requires a red book. When will this vicious cycle continue?” - Ms. Le was upset.
Responding to Lao Dong newspaper, Chairman of Tam Quang Commune People's Committee Phan Vinh Tien admitted that the project's long implementation period has greatly affected the lives of local people.
Every year, the commune also mobilizes resources to pave the road for people to travel, but it is like "a drop in the ocean", because there is no solid investment, so after each rainy season, it has to spend money to repair it. The locality is also helpless.
“According to regulations, people are not allowed to build new projects or split plots in the project planning area. However, due to urgent housing needs, many families with large plots of land and many children have to squeeze into cramped old houses, so they have arbitrarily built houses.
There are currently about 10 illegal houses like this in Trung Toan village. The commune knows but still “turns a blind eye” to people building houses, in order to have a place to live, the people also commit to accept losing everything when the project is implemented, without compensation…” – Mr. Tien said.
Mr. Le Van Dung - Chairman of Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee said that after the press reported, the province directed the Management Board of Economic Zones and Industrial Parks of the province (the agency managing the Ky Ha Port Administrative Area project) to review the planning, then propose solutions to resolve the situation of suspended planning, in order to ensure people's lives.
