Faster relocation urged for Son La, Lai Chau hydropower plants

Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai has urged some northern provinces to speed up land clearence and resettlement of local residents so that work can begin immediately on the key Son La and Lai Chau hydropower plants.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has urged the northern provinces of Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau to speed up land clearence and resettlement of local residents so that work can begin immediately on the key Son La and Lai Chau hydropower plants. 

A corner of Lai Chau Hydropower Plant

Working with the State Steering Board for the Son La-Lai Chau hydropower plant project in Lai Chau on August 21, Deputy PM Hai hailed the board and the province for ensuring the project’s progress. 

The Government will prioritise investment capital for the project, he affirmed. 

He also asked the three provinces of Lai Chau, Son La and Dien Bien to heed the livelihoods of displaced residents, adding that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will direct a project to help locals stabilise their lives and foster socio-economic development in resettlement areas. 

At the working session, leaders of ministries and departments suggested measures to remove difficulties in allocating land and forest plots to resettled families and assist them with their farming to create sustainable livelihoods. 

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Trong Quang said the resettlement policy has made good progress in line with the master plan previously approved by the Prime Minister. 

Currently, 60 out of 1,760 households in the province have been relocated. In comparison, the compensation and assistance in Son La has been completed for over 4,600 families, he said. 

Many local residents have earned higher incomes from planting rubber trees in the districts of Sin Ho and Muong Te, he added. 

Work on the Lai Chau hydropower plant remains on schedule, and the Deputy PM already came to inspect its progress.