The Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee, the investor of the Long Thanh International Airport, built a plan on livelihoods and life stabilisation for relocated people (Source: Dong Nai newspaper)Hanoi (VNA) – Legislators on October 27 askedresponsible agencies to ensure livelihoods of people displaced by theconstruction of Long Thanh International Airport in southern Dong Nai province.
They were discussing a feasibility study reporton a land seizure, compensation, support, and resettlement project for thebuilding. The debate was part of the ongoing fourth session of the 14thNational Assembly (NA) in Hanoi.
The Government reported that the Long Thanhairport construction is of national importance and was planned in 2005. Overthe past years, the land use right of residents in the project area has beenlimited, causing difficulties to their life. The sooner the land seizure,compensation, support and resettlement project is carried out, the better thelife and legitimate interests of local people will be ensured.
This project will be implemented at a total costof more than 23 trillion VND (1 billion USD) covered by the State budget. About5,585ha of land will be repossessed. The project’s investor, the Dong Naiprovincial People’s Committee, built a plan on livelihoods and lifestabilisation for relocated people, the Government said.
At group discussions, many NA deputies saiddraft compensation, support and resettlement plans in the feasibility studyreport have yet to cover all the ones affected by the land seizure, especiallyeconomic organisations such as farms and businesses, religious places ofworship and communities. The report should differentiate between compensationand support mechanisms and clarify plans for recovering production activitiesand income of resettled people.
Le Thanh Van, a deputy of southernmost Ca Mauprovince, said resettlement areas need to be divided according to groups ofresidents like urban residents and those with old production activities. Itwill be hard for farmers to adapt to areas with urban characteristics if theyare moved to these places.
Sharing the same view, deputy Nguyen Thi QuyetTam of Ho Chi Minh City said the area of seized farmland and the number ofrelocated people working in the agricultural sector are very big. She wonderedhow their livelihoods will be changed if farmland is not included in resettlementareas.
It is also a problem that whether resettledpeople can earn their living by the vocations they get training in, she added,asking the Government to clarify how the affected people change theirlivelihoods.
Tam called on the Cabinet and the parliament toclosely monitor the building of resettlement areas. Meanwhile, the land seizureprocess must take into account public opinions and be done in a transparent anddemocratic manner.
Deputies Nguyen Quang Tuan and Nguyen Huu Chinhof Hanoi urged careful consideration of the capacity of the Dong Nai People’sCommittee in steering project implementation, particularly land repossession,to not cause disagreement in the public. In case the province is notexperienced in this field, the Government should lend a hand.
The most important thing is people’s trust inthe Party and the State, political stability and social order and safety, theystressed.
Mai Hong Hai, a deputy of Hai Phong city, saidthe Government should prepare enough 23 trillion VND to ensure the projectimplementation progress. It also needs to balance the allocation and use of themoney for the project.
According to the Dong Nai provincial People’sCommittee, more than 15,000 residents will be affected by the airport project,70 percent of them are farmers and the others are workers at rubber plantationsand those with other jobs. To acquire 5,000 ha for the first stage of theairport, 4,730 households and 26 offices will have to be relocated.
Compensation payments are estimated at over 18trillion VND (792.64 million USD).
The first phase of the airport is scheduled tobe completed in 2023 and the final phase in 2050.-VNA
They were discussing a feasibility study reporton a land seizure, compensation, support, and resettlement project for thebuilding. The debate was part of the ongoing fourth session of the 14thNational Assembly (NA) in Hanoi.
The Government reported that the Long Thanhairport construction is of national importance and was planned in 2005. Overthe past years, the land use right of residents in the project area has beenlimited, causing difficulties to their life. The sooner the land seizure,compensation, support and resettlement project is carried out, the better thelife and legitimate interests of local people will be ensured.
This project will be implemented at a total costof more than 23 trillion VND (1 billion USD) covered by the State budget. About5,585ha of land will be repossessed. The project’s investor, the Dong Naiprovincial People’s Committee, built a plan on livelihoods and lifestabilisation for relocated people, the Government said.
At group discussions, many NA deputies saiddraft compensation, support and resettlement plans in the feasibility studyreport have yet to cover all the ones affected by the land seizure, especiallyeconomic organisations such as farms and businesses, religious places ofworship and communities. The report should differentiate between compensationand support mechanisms and clarify plans for recovering production activitiesand income of resettled people.
Le Thanh Van, a deputy of southernmost Ca Mauprovince, said resettlement areas need to be divided according to groups ofresidents like urban residents and those with old production activities. Itwill be hard for farmers to adapt to areas with urban characteristics if theyare moved to these places.
Sharing the same view, deputy Nguyen Thi QuyetTam of Ho Chi Minh City said the area of seized farmland and the number ofrelocated people working in the agricultural sector are very big. She wonderedhow their livelihoods will be changed if farmland is not included in resettlementareas.
It is also a problem that whether resettledpeople can earn their living by the vocations they get training in, she added,asking the Government to clarify how the affected people change theirlivelihoods.
Tam called on the Cabinet and the parliament toclosely monitor the building of resettlement areas. Meanwhile, the land seizureprocess must take into account public opinions and be done in a transparent anddemocratic manner.
Deputies Nguyen Quang Tuan and Nguyen Huu Chinhof Hanoi urged careful consideration of the capacity of the Dong Nai People’sCommittee in steering project implementation, particularly land repossession,to not cause disagreement in the public. In case the province is notexperienced in this field, the Government should lend a hand.
The most important thing is people’s trust inthe Party and the State, political stability and social order and safety, theystressed.
Mai Hong Hai, a deputy of Hai Phong city, saidthe Government should prepare enough 23 trillion VND to ensure the projectimplementation progress. It also needs to balance the allocation and use of themoney for the project.
According to the Dong Nai provincial People’sCommittee, more than 15,000 residents will be affected by the airport project,70 percent of them are farmers and the others are workers at rubber plantationsand those with other jobs. To acquire 5,000 ha for the first stage of theairport, 4,730 households and 26 offices will have to be relocated.
Compensation payments are estimated at over 18trillion VND (792.64 million USD).
The first phase of the airport is scheduled tobe completed in 2023 and the final phase in 2050.-VNA
