More than 4 years living in a temporary tent
In the last days of 2024, Lao Dong Newspaper reporters were present at the road connecting Province 153 to Ring Road 2, running through Na Hoi - Ta Chai commune of Bac Ha district to record the project implementation status after many years of approval. Nearly 5 years after the start of construction, this road is still unfinished and messy.
Having lived in a small, shabby hut for more than 4 years, after her house was forcibly demolished, Ms. Sung Thi Xuong (48 years old, resident of Na Hoi Nung village, Na Hoi commune) could not help but feel indignant: “The government built such a big and beautiful road, we, the people, are very excited and support it. However, they took all the production land and residential areas not located on the road, making the people extremely confused.”
According to Ms. Xuong, since the project was implemented, households in Na Hoi Nung village have sent many petitions to the province and district but have not been resolved.
Waiting for a solution
Ms. Than Thi Na (60 years old, Na Hoi Nung village) said: "All activities of the people depend on agricultural production, mainly growing Tam Hoa plum. The government has confiscated more than 900 square meters of plum land from my family for more than 132 million VND. If they continue to confiscate it now, it will be no different than depriving the people here of their livelihood."
Through investigation, many households are currently having to set up temporary tents while waiting for a satisfactory solution from authorities at all levels.
It is known that on October 31, 2018, Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 3748 approving the investment project to build Ring Road 2 (section DT 153 to Na Hoi, Na Kim and Ta Chai communes, Bac Ha district with a length of 4.3km, with a road surface and sidewalk width of 20.5m. Bac Ha District People's Committee is the investor of the project with a capital of more than 300 billion VND, the construction unit is a joint venture of Anh Nguyen Company Limited - Vu Thanh Company Limited. The project started in 2019, with a construction period of 1,000 days. However, by early 2025, the project is still being implemented sluggishly and has not been scheduled for completion.
According to a representative of Vu Thanh Company Limited, the Ring Road 2 project has been implemented, but for many years there has been no construction site. Therefore, the company has sent a document to the investor requesting to withdraw from the project from mid-2024.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hai - Chairman of Na Hoi Commune People's Committee - said: "The Ring Road 2 route is currently about 1.2/4.3km in length. The reason the project is behind schedule and not yet completed is because some households have not yet agreed to hand over the site." According to the Chairman of Na Hoi Commune People's Committee, basically, the households have agreed, once the site is completed this Tet, the unit will quickly start construction.
Chairman of Bac Ha District People's Committee Dang Cong Hai said: "When there is a schedule to meet with people, I will have a dialogue with households that have not agreed."
When asked about the confiscation of a lot of agricultural land for the project affecting people's lives, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Ha district said that the State has policies to compensate appropriately and support people who lose their livelihoods according to general regulations.
Mr. Ha Duc Thanh - Director of the Bac Ha District Construction Investment Project Management Board - said that the Ring Road 2 project has been extended and the completion date has been postponed to May 2025.
