The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been asked to clarify policies on compensation and support for resettlement when building irrigational and hydropower works; dam and reservoir safety; and measures to stabilise ethnic minorities’ lives in the northern mountainous region.

Speaking at a question and answer session during the 26th meeting of the 14th National Assembly Standing Committee on August 13, Deputy Nguyen Tien Sinh from Hoa Binh province said policies to compensate and support resettlement after reclaiming land and building irrigational and hydropower works have been carried out for years. 

However, people living in resettlement areas still face many difficulties, especially a lack of land for housing and production and alternative means of livelihood, and dilapidated infrastructure.

Sinh asked the ministry to detail solutions after resettlement-related policies are implemented and investors’ responsibility for this problem.

In addition, he requested the ministry carry out measures to stabilise the lives of locals in the mountainous areas after downpours and floods.

In reply, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said that Vietnam has 193 irrigational and hydropower projects which have forced or will force about 84,000 households with more than 353,000 people to resettle. To date, more than 76,000 households have received help to move and live in other places.

The ministry advised the government to approve a decision on stabilising production for 28,800 resettled households and more than 24,500 affected households in the three northern provinces of Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau which will be implemented from 2018-2025, with total investment of more than VND6.94 trillion (US$306 million).

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had already approved a directive on ensuring safety for dams and reservoirs and allocating money for localities to upgrade dams and reservoirs, Nam stated.

Under the decree, the Government leader also assigned the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Industry and Trade to assess dam and reservoir safety, he added.

In terms of flash floods in northern provinces, the deputy minister said his ministry had sent delegations to areas prone to flash floods and carried out solutions. 

For nearly 6,000 households who have no homes and are living in tents, the Government will allocate VND883 billion (US$39 million) to affected provinces later this month, he added.

VNA