Urgently resolve the backlog of hydropower projects in Nghe An

Long-standing problem

Implementing Decision No. 809/QD-UBND dated March 20, 2025 of the Provincial People's Committee on the establishment of a Working Group to urge the handling of backlogs in compensation and resettlement support for hydropower projects in the province, recently, a working delegation led by Mr. Pham Van Hoa - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, together with representatives of a number of provincial departments and branches, made a trip to inspect and work with leaders of Que Phong, Tuong Duong, and Thanh Chuong districts to resolve problems at the hydropower projects: Hua Na, Ban Ve, and Khe Bo.

In Tuong Duong district, the Working Group inspected the field, worked with the district, commune and investor on difficulties and problems related to resettlement of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project - the largest hydropower project in Nghe An, as well as the North Central region. The plant has a capacity of 320MW, the main dam is located in Ban Ve, Yen Na commune, Tuong Duong district with an investment of nearly 7,000 billion VND. In April and May 2010, two units of the Ban Ve Hydropower Plant were connected to the national grid, with an average annual electricity output of 1,012 million kWh. However, since then, there have been many outstanding issues related to this project regarding compensation, support, resettlement and damage after storm No. 4 (August 2018) of people in the Ban Ve Hydropower Project area and the area affected by the project.

The working group, together with Tuong Duong district and related units, inspected a number of resettlement sites. Photo: Thu Huyen

People in the affected area requested support arising from the project's regulations and support to overcome the 2018 flood; handle land above the flood level of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project; hand over the construction site after the contractors have withdrawn; prepare compensation records for the difference in land value between the departure and destination areas for the part below the flood level in the old villages in the reservoir area; and compensation for the difference in land value between the departure and destination areas for households subject to concentrated resettlement in Thanh Chuong; prepare compensation records for land in Con Phen village (Huu Khuong commune); Granting land use right certificates in the resettlement area of ​​Ca Moong village (Luong Minh commune)...

Ms. Lo Thi Tham's family at Co Chanh resettlement area, Yen Na commune, Tuong Duong district. Photo: Thu Huyen

Currently, the units have agreed on the policy to proceed with the construction of infrastructure for the resettlement area in Xop Vi cluster, Xop Chao village of Luong Minh commune and the resettlement area in Ban Ve. Mr. Le Van Luong - Secretary of Tuong Duong District Party Committee said: The problems and difficulties related to compensation and resettlement support for hydropower projects have lasted for many years, with many different groups of problems. The prolongation of the problems is affecting people's lives, therefore, the district will urge timely and responsible implementation.

“We will identify the tasks that are no longer pending and do them immediately, and the tasks that can be shortened will be shortened, and we can propose a special mechanism to handle them. For tasks that cannot be completed on schedule before the district level is removed, the records must be tight so that they can be handed over to the new government,” said the Secretary of the Tuong Duong District Party Committee.

Co Chanh resettlement area, Yen Na commune is still using construction site electricity, not yet handed over to home electricity. Photo: Thu Huyen

Mr. Ta Huu Hung - Director of Ban Ve Hydropower Joint Stock Company (project investor) said that up to now, the investor of Ban Ve Hydropower Project has allocated 51 billion VND to support additional resettlement, of which, the expenditure in Tuong Duong district is 30.6 billion VND; Thanh Chuong district is 20 billion VND to implement the items. Ban Ve Hydropower Joint Stock Company will continue to work with the 2 districts to agree on some contents and urge the implementation of the items.

For the Khe Bo Hydropower Project, after the reservoir of Khe Bo Hydropower Plant is filled, in addition to the households whose land is completely affected and must be relocated to concentrated resettlement areas, there are also 398 plots of land of 398 households whose land area is partially flooded by the reservoir, so the land records need to be adjusted.

However, the adjustment of land records is facing many difficulties; 44 households are affected by the lake border, so the boundary of the lake must be adjusted, leading to an increase in area and a decrease in area, which requires a solution... In addition, the compensation and resettlement work of the Khe Bo Hydropower Project has been basically completed, but the settlement of costs for the compensation and resettlement component submitted to the competent authority for approval has not been carried out.

The working group worked with the People's Committee of Que Phong district and the investor of Hua Na Hydropower Project. Photo: Thu Huyen

For the Hua Na Hydropower Project, the project has been implemented since 2008. In parallel with the construction of the Hua Na Hydropower Plant, there is resettlement work for people in Thong Thu, Dong Van and Tien Phong communes of Que Phong district to have new places to live, ensuring stable life and production development.

There are still some problems related to handling the difference in land value between the place of departure and the place of destination, of which 251 households have not yet approved the deduction plan, of which 41 households have residential land and 210 households have agricultural land. Land allocation and dossier preparation for granting agricultural land use right certificates in some areas are still difficult and problematic, such as: Issues related to the allocation of agricultural land for growing other annual crops; 46/89 households have not yet received project fields; 77/879 resettled households have not yet been granted forestry land use right certificates)...

Urgently resolve before the end of the historical mission of the district level

It can be affirmed that the handling of existing problems in hydropower projects is extremely slow, this is an urgent issue that needs to be resolved promptly. The working group has dissected each problem, where the difficulties are, the reasons why, and from there, a solution can be found.

Mr. Vi Thanh Tung - Chairman of Yen Na Commune People's Committee, Tuong Duong said that due to landslides causing unsafety in 2007 and 2010, preschool children had to go to school at the main school, and the roads were difficult to travel, so households in Khe O resettlement area, Yen Na commune had to move to another place. Photo: Thu Huyen

Regarding the handover of the construction site of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project, the working group requested the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district to complete the handling plan for the area of ​​3.63 ha (96 plots/95 households) that is stuck and send it to the Department of Agriculture and Environment for guidance and comments in April 2025; report to the Provincial People's Committee for instructions on the handling plan in May 2025. Ban Ve Hydropower Company coordinated with the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district to complete the handling plan for the area of ​​the construction site that is stuck. Arrange funding, clear and return the site to local management after the handling plan is approved.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment focuses on guiding the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district on a solution to the problem area.

People bought houses from hydropower contractors, illegally built in Co Phao village. Photo: Thu Huyen

Regarding the issuance of land use right certificates at the Ca Moong resettlement area, Luong Minh commune, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district completed the handling plan to allocate land to 17 households to build houses on forestry land in accordance with regulations to ensure stable lives for households, to be completed in May 2025; Guide and support 13 households having difficulties in confirming inheritance rights to make declarations and prepare documents to ensure eligibility for granting land use right certificates; to be completed in May 2025. Ban Ve Hydropower Company coordinated with the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district in issuing land use right certificates to households and arranging funds to pay people when the compensation plan was approved.

Regarding compensation for land differences in resettlement areas, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district will coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Environment to receive guidance on determining the time to apply land prices to calculate the difference, to be completed in April 2025. Issue specific land prices to apply prices and prepare compensation records for the difference in departure and arrival places for households in May 2025. The Department of Agriculture and Environment will guide the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district to determine the time to apply land prices to calculate the difference...

Secretary of Tuong Duong District Party Committee discusses difficulties in hydropower projects in the area. Photo: Thu Huyen

Regarding the compensation for the difference in land value between the place of departure and the place of destination for households subject to concentrated resettlement in Thanh Chuong district, the Working Group assigned Ban Ve Hydropower Company to preside over and coordinate with the People's Committees of Tuong Duong and Thanh Chuong districts to develop a plan for compensation for the difference in the place of departure and the place of destination for households and assigned the districts to provide data to the Hydropower Project Management Board 2 for households that are eligible for compensation for the difference.

In the spirit of "clear people, clear work, clear responsibilities", the working group also proposed solutions to resolve difficulties and progress in implementing existing problems of the Hua Na and Khe Bo Hydropower projects.

In order to urge the progress of localities and investors of hydropower projects, Mr. Pham Van Hoa - Director of the Department of Industry and Trade requested that local authorities at district and commune levels and related units need to set a time frame to completely resolve the problems, without waiting for the province's directive documents. Focus on completing the implementation before the district level ceases operations on July 1, 2025.

Working group working with Tuong Duong district. Photo: Thu Huyen

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It is necessary to quickly complete the backlog and complete it before the end of the historical mission of the district level. The relevant localities should focus on handling it as soon as the capital has been allocated; avoid difficulties in authority, documents, and implementation organization when there is no longer a district-level government, but it is transferred to the new communes. At the same time, it is necessary to quickly resolve issues related to land procedures for people affected by the project.

Mr. Pham Van Hoa - Director of Department of Industry and Trade

The problems and difficulties related to compensation and resettlement support for hydropower projects have lasted for many years, affecting the people who have sacrificed for the completion of hydropower projects. Therefore, urgently resolving the backlog not only meets the administrative requirements when there is a change in the district level, but also demonstrates concern and responsibility for the lives of people in the resettlement areas...

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/gap-rut-giai-quyet-ton-dong-cua-cac-du-an-thuy-dien-tai-nghe-an-10295239.html