People donate land worth billions of dong to build roads.

TP - From a narrow road where people had to inch forward during rush hour and suffered from flooding after every heavy rain, the Kha Van Can road (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) has been transformed into a wider, more spacious road thanks to a neighborhood security team leader who voluntarily donated land worth billions of VND to upgrade and expand the road.

Dress up in new clothes to welcome Tet.

The section of Kha Van Can Street (Hiep Binh Chanh Ward, Thu Duc City) is bordered on one side by the railway corridor and on the other side by Road No. 48, which is bustling with shops and businesses. Just two months ago, this section of road, over 300 meters long, was only about 2.5 meters wide.

The narrow road, coupled with the dense population, means that residents are constantly worried about traffic jams, especially during rush hour. The road is also frequently flooded after every rain.

At the end of 2023, this road was upgraded and widened by the local authorities to nearly 6 meters, double its previous width. The widened road surface, given a new look before Tet (Lunar New Year), made travel more convenient for residents. Businesses in the surrounding area also found it easier to operate. The urban landscape has become more spacious and modern.

To widen this road, Mr. Tran Anh Kiet (58 years old, Head of the Neighborhood Security Committee of Hiep Binh Chanh Ward) donated 300 m2 of land his family was using and handed over 700 m2 of land previously allocated to his family by the cooperative, totaling approximately 1,000 m2, for the government to build the road. Based on the lowest land compensation price, the land Mr. Kiet's family donated to the State is equivalent to 4-5 billion VND.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hiep Binh Chanh Ward, besides the recently upgraded section, many narrow sections along Kha Van Can Street still pose difficulties for residents. The local authorities are compiling a list and encouraging households to donate land to help the government quickly upgrade and expand the road comprehensively.

"This amount of money is huge for me. Instead of doing charity, donating land to build a road will help me and my neighbors travel more conveniently. That's why I donated the land; if I were to weigh the monetary value, I wouldn't be able to do it," Mr. Kiet shared about his decision to donate land for road construction.

The government and the people both benefit.

Mr. Kiet recounted that this plot of land was his parents' dowry, which he had used to build a fish pond and then rented out as a parking lot and a pub. After a while, to ensure the safety of the railway corridor, Mr. Kiet left the land vacant. Across the street, he also owns another plot of land that he rents out as a shop.

“If the road were wider, the business of the lessor would be more convenient. That way, I would also benefit from donating the land. With the remaining plot of land, about 1 meter wide, next to the railway, I handed it over to the local authorities to plant trees and beautify the road. Soon, anyone passing by this road will be surprised by the wide road and the colorful flowers and ornamental plants all around,” Mr. Kiet said with a smile.

Formerly prone to flooding, the Kha Van Can road has been widened and improved thanks to donated land, making travel more convenient for residents. Photo: Nhan Le

Mr. Kiet said that witnessing the daily suffering of many people due to prolonged traffic jams, he longed to do something to change the situation in his hometown. As the head of the neighborhood security team in Hiep Binh Chanh ward, Mr. Kiet and his colleagues had to go to this section of road every day to coordinate and organize traffic. However, he soon realized that this was only a temporary solution. Therefore, instead of waiting for the government to compensate and clear the land, which would take a long time, Mr. Kiet decided to donate his land so that the new road could be completed quickly.

I don't expect to be honored.

This is not the first time Mr. Kiet's family has donated land for road construction. In the 2000s, he donated hundreds of meters of land to build Road No. 48. Thanks to this, the entire area's appearance changed, houses sprang up more and more, and businesses and trade became more vibrant. For his contributions to the community, Mr. Kiet was honored as an exemplary citizen of Thu Duc City in 2023. Many neighboring households, seeing Mr. Kiet's actions, also agreed to donate land to open roads.

“I donated the land not for the sake of recognition. What makes me happiest is seeing the place where I was born and raised change every day. From a swamp surrounded by rice fields in my childhood memories, it has become a bustling neighborhood. The roads are gradually transforming. Soon, the remaining section of Kha Van Can road will be widened, synchronized, and connected, and this is my greatest happiness,” Mr. Kiet confided.

Mr. Tran Anh Kiet (58 years old, Head of the Neighborhood Security Committee of Hiep Binh Chanh Ward) donated 300 m2 of his family's land and handed over 700 m2 of land allocated by the cooperative to his family, totaling approximately 1,000 m2, for the government to build a road. Photo: Nhan Le

According to Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hiep Binh Chanh Ward, thanks to Mr. Kiet's land donation, the local government was able to quickly expand and upgrade this road section before Tet, creating joy and excitement for the people.

According to Mr. Tuan, following procedures such as land valuation and compensation pricing for land clearance would be very difficult and time-consuming, requiring a long wait for funding. Therefore, besides Mr. Kiet's case, in the past year, the local authorities also mobilized 16 households to donate 390 square meters of land to widen Alley 182 on Hiep Binh Street. Previously, this alley was only 1-2 meters wide; after being widened, 16-seater cars can now pass through.

Nhan Le

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguoi-dan-hien-dat-nhieu-ty-dong-mo-duong-post1614011.tpo