Construction begins on the Loc An-Binh Son resettlement area for households affected by the Long Thanh International Airport project in Dong Nai province. — (Photo: nhandan.com.vn) Dong Nai (VNA) - The southern province of Dong Nai has mobilised all resources to speed up the progress of several major transport projects, including the Long Thanh International Airport.
The projects are expected to drive sustainable economic growth not only for the province but also for the Southern Key Economic Region and the entire country.
The Long Thanh International Airport, the country’s largest-ever project, will cost 336.63 trillion VND (14.53 billion USD). Its construction is divided into three phases. The first phase is expected to begin construction next year.
More than 5,000ha of land, which belongs to 18 organisations and nearly 5,300 households with a total of 15,000 people in Long Thanh district, have to be cleared to build the airport. Another 364ha will be required to build the two resettlement sites.
The total cost for ground clearance, compensation and resettlement support is estimated at nearly 23 trillion VND (992 million USD).
The province is set to give priority to site clearance on an area covering 1,810ha. It has paid compensation to the Dong Nai Rubber Corporation to acquire 1,180ha owned by the company to build two resettlement areas in Loc An and Binh Son communes in Long Thanh district.
About 130ha has been acquired from 330 households with compensation payments of more than 625 billion VND (27 million USD).
Compensation rates and detailed compensation plans are being considered for the remaining area and are expected to be handed over for construction of the airport in October.
Most of the affected households have agreed to the compensation and support offered.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in July asked the provincial authority to complete site clearance for all land for the airport project next year. To achieve the goal, compensation payments to all affected households must be completed by the end of this year.
Le Van Tiep, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said about 50 staff from departments and branches moved to Long Thanh district last year to carry out the project’s land compensation and site clearance.
But the district authority asked for 40 additional staff due to the heavy workload. The additional staff moved to the district in August to help speed up the work.
A number of other key transport projects are being implemented in the province.
They include Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway between Long An and Dong Nai provinces, Phan Thiet - Dau Giay Expressway between Binh Thuan and Dong Nai provinces, Dau Giay Intersection, and Ring Road No 3 linking HCM City with Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces.
Phan Thiet - Dau Giay Expressway is an eastern section of the North-South Expressway with a total length of nearly 100km. The section passing through Dong Nai province will extend more than 51km.
A total of 412ha area is needed to build the expressway. Land clearance tasks for the project construction are nearly completed.
The province has approved a compensation plan for the remaining 342 households and 10 organisations affected by the project in Xuan Loc district. It aims to complete compensation payments and hand over all land for construction of the project in September.
In a related matter, a number of key transport projects in the province have been delayed due to land clearance problems.
The Dau Giay Intersection project, for example, will reduce traffic congestion at the intersection between national highways No 1A and 20 in Thong Nhat district. But it has been delayed for more than two years.
Delays were caused partly by slow compensation payments to affected households, causing compensation and resettlement support costs to increase by more than 5 times compared to the original financial plan.
The cost has increased to 130 billion VND (5.6 million USD) from 22 billion VNd (950,000 USD).
The provincial People’s Committee has proposed that the Government direct the Ministry of Transport to work with relevant units to arrange capital sources to complete the intersection project.
Cao Tien Dũng, chairman of the committee, said the province has asked all departments, branches and localities to make efforts to speed up site clearance and disbursement of funds.
It has set up a steering committee to create relevant procedures related to the projects, as well as monthly checks and monitoring of the projects’ progress so that problems can be solved promptly.
The leaders of the province are working with relevant agencies weekly to urge progress in land acquisition, compensation, resettlement and vocational training for locals affected by the projects.
The committee has told local authorities to prepare for the construction of resettlement areas. If the districts need capital, they will be allowed to advance investment capital to build the resettlement areas./.
VNA
