Stop ‘tricks’ to claim higher compensation on North-South expressway: ministry

In a statement issued Sunday, the ministry said 12 localities that the expressway will run through – Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, Kien Giang and Ca Mau – must tighten management of areas designated for the project.

The order comes after residents of the central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Ha Tinh have rushed to build auxiliary works like cattle sheds and plant trees on their land on learning that it has been marked for building the expressway. Such actions are being taken in order to claim higher compensation when the land is taken.

Inspections have found that the works are temporary without proper foundation.

The Project Management Board will hand over documents and pictures of status at the time of the survey for localities to use as a basis for managing and handling such violations, the ministry said.

In January, the National Assembly approved a 729-kilometer (453 miles) expansion to the eastern part of the North-South Expressway.

Accordingly, a sum of VND146.990 trillion (almost $6.5 billion) from the state budget will be spent on implement 12 projects for the expansion. These projects will consume 5,481 hectares (13,543 acres) of land in total, including 1,532 hectares of farmland, 110 hectares of protected forest land, and 1,436 of productive forest land.

The government last month approved a proposal to choose contractors for the 12 projects instead of organizing bids for the works.

In a government resolution issued last month regarding a proposal made by the transport ministry on projects to lengthen the eastern part of the expressway in the 2021-2025 period, the ministry can appoint contractors in 2022 and 2023 for packages related to consultancy, site clearance and compensation, as well as removing technical infrastructure.