President Truong Tan Sang has paid a visit to engineers and workers at the construction site of the Lai Chau hydropower plant in the mountainous northwest province of the same name.

He was briefed on the project’s progress and implementation, as well as the resettlement of households originally on the site.

The 1,200 megawatt hydropower plant consisting of three turbines is expected to be operational by 2016. Nearly 5,000 engineers and workers from Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and LILAMA are constructing it.

Lai Chau hydropower plant is the third of its kind built on Da River. It follows the 1,920MW hydropower plant in Hoa Binh province and the 2,400MW hydropower plant in Son La province.

Sang’s visit was part of his Lai Chau tour on December 8 to inspect the implementation of socio-economic development plans, national defence and security, and rural development.

During his tour, Sang attended the inaugural ceremony of a memorial house dedicated to lawyer at Nguyen Huu Tho and a primary school named after him in Ban Giang village, Muong Te commune. The projects recognise contributions made by lawyer Nguyen Huu Tho, who had been detained there 62 years ago. Tho was acting State President from April 1980 to July 1981 and Chairman of the National Assembly from 1981 to 1987.

Speaking to the local Party committee, authorities and people, Sang asked them to continue upholding solidarity, gain more socio-economic development achievements and improve the living standards of local people, while building the Party and maintaining social order and safety.

The President also visited and presented a gift to Vietnamese hero mother Ly Kho Po from the Ha Nhi ethnic people in Muong Te town.-VNA