When will Da Nang University Village stop being "suspended"?

Mr. Le Tai, a professional house demolition worker, said he doesn't know when he will be able to see the transformation of the Da Nang University Village on the Quang Nam side. Photo: T. Dung

The plan remains "on hold".

Two contrasting scenes unfold in the planned Da Nang University Village area. On the Hoa Quy side (Da Nang), the ground is littered with soil, rocks, and debris from demolished buildings. Residents receive compensation and prepare to move to new homes.

Meanwhile, in Dien Ngoc (Quang Nam province), there are no signs of relocation. The Dien Ban town government is unable to invest in long-term public infrastructure projects.

Thousands of households in Cau Ha, Tu Cau, and Ngoc Vinh, located within the project area, are unable to plan for long-term production and investment. They are not allowed to subdivide their land, distribute it to their children, or sell, buy, mortgage, or pledge it... They live in misery on their own land because it is designated as "planned land."

Some people, unable to bear being "stuck" in the planned development zone, left their homes, abandoning the sandy area. Those who remained lived in dilapidated, overcrowded houses, with no plans for the future...

Mr. Le Tai (a resident of Cau Ha), hired to demolish a house in Hoa Quy, said that from his youth to his old age, he has seen no change. The young people have to "drift" to other places to live and find a livelihood. He doesn't know when this "suspended" planning scheme will be lifted!

The Da Nang University Village project, which has been "suspended" for a quarter of a century, was once a hot topic in online forums and public opinion.

The land for the Da Nang University Village project in Hoa Quy is currently being cleared. Photo: T. DUNG

Following inspections of planning in Quang Nam, Mr. Vuong Quoc Thang, a member of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment and a National Assembly representative from Quang Nam province, stated that the proliferation of planning projects, both in quantity and type, has led to stalled plans, posing a threat to the stability of residents in these areas. The interests of the people must be considered. They cannot be made to wait in vain!

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Ha, Vice Chairman of the Dien Ban Town People's Committee, said that the town has requested the investor to transfer the funds. The local authorities are committed to clearing and handing over the land when the investment is completed.

Over 25 years have passed, and we can't wait any longer. We can't let the people continue to live in misery without any solution. However, the investor (the Ministry of Education and Training) claims financial difficulties. They said they would report to the Prime Minister, but we've been waiting for a response for a long time.

The Quang Nam provincial government has petitioned the Prime Minister to remove obstacles in the planning of the Da Nang University Village. The Prime Minister's conclusion (Notice No. 135/TB-VPCP dated May 6, 2022) requires the Department of Planning and Investment to take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training, the People's Committee of Da Nang City, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province, and other relevant agencies, to organize a working group to directly review and comprehensively assess the current situation, difficulties, and obstacles of the university village, propose solutions, and report to the Prime Minister in April 2022.

Numerous meetings involving central ministries and agencies followed. However, after nearly two years, the stalled Da Nang University Village project has only progressed to the stage of compiling recommendations. The latest information, in September 2023, indicates that Da Nang University has appealed to the Ministry of Education and Training regarding the university village project, but has yet to receive a final response.

How long do we have to wait?

Mr. Tran Uc, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Ban town, said that a few months ago, the Ministry of Education and Training sent a letter to the Ministry of Planning and Investment requesting funding to develop the 50-hectare core area requiring the least land clearance to build functional zones and housing for officials and staff of the university village. However, there has been no progress in the construction or investment of the university village in Quang Nam province.

Many residents of Dien Ngoc have been forced to leave their hometowns and move elsewhere because they can no longer tolerate being trapped in the planned development zone for so many years. Photo: T. DUNG

The Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee sought the opinion of the Provincial Party Standing Committee (and agreed), proposing to adjust the 1/2000 planning (approved by the Prime Minister, Decision No. 986 dated July 9, 2020), reducing the area of the Da Nang University Village in Dien Ngoc ward to approximately 50 hectares (the part that is favorable for land clearance), with investment to be made from now until 2030. The remaining area (140 hectares) will be transferred for investment in Dien Tien, Dien Ban (adjacent to Hoa Tien commune, Hoa Vang district, Da Nang).

The Quang Nam provincial government has requested the Prime Minister to assign the Ministry of Education and Training the task of working with the locality to review the 1/2000 scale planning for the Da Nang University Village.

Determine the feasibility of investment opportunities in Quang Nam province from now until 2030. This will serve as the basis for proposing to the Prime Minister adjustments to reduce the boundary area and functional zones accordingly, re-approve the plan by the end of 2024, and allocate additional funds for the complete implementation of the approved detailed plan from 2025 to 2030. The adjusted reduced area will be implemented in Dien Tien commune.

The revised master plan for Dien Ban town for the period up to 2030 and 2045, announced in April 2023, no longer includes fragmented plans (the university village being one such example).

The Quang Nam master plan, announced in March 2024, stipulates that the Dien Tien area has space for the development of universities, which is reasonable. This area is located in a high-lying region, is not prone to flooding, and has convenient connections to Da Nang via the northern ring road system connecting Quang Nam and Da Nang.

Mr. Tran Uc said that the Dien Tien area has all the elements to form a future university zone, is consistent with the general planning for the construction of Dien Ban town, and is feasible.

However, resolving the issue related to the Dien Ngoc area will not be feasible. Dien Ban town has prepared all the necessary content and documents for the provincial leaders to work with the Ministry of Education and Training when requested.

The Quang Nam provincial government's proposal to reduce the planned area of the Da Nang University Village in Hoa Quy - Dien Ngoc has yet to be approved by the Prime Minister. The University Village project remains stalled, and it's unclear when it will be lifted.

The plan to clear 190 hectares of land in the Quang Nam area designated for the Da Nang University Village is unfeasible. According to reviews by Quang Nam, the area requiring clearance is 170.28/190 hectares, affecting 1,845 households. Of these, 1,375 households are affected by land acquisition issues, requiring 3,155 resettlement plots across an area of over 100 hectares.

According to calculations by Quang Nam province, the cost of constructing the resettlement area (estimated based on the investment rate of the Ministry of Construction) and compensating for land clearance in this area will require nearly 4,000 billion VND. This funding is very difficult to obtain at the present time.

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