The case of a concrete road 'growing' on agricultural land overnight: Local authorities request its dismantling and restoration to its original state

On July 6, Vinh Phu ward leaders said that they had inspected and handled the spontaneous concrete road that Nghe An Newspaper and Radio and Television reported, and proceeded to dismantle and restore the original site according to regulations. The new Vinh Phu ward was established on the basis of merging 4 old administrative units including: Ha Huy Tap ward, Nghi Phu ward, Nghi Duc ward and Nghi An commune.

“Immediately after receiving the feedback, on July 4, the ward sent staff to inspect the scene, review land records, verify the purpose of the construction, and at the same time proceed with dismantling and restore the land to its current state in accordance with legal regulations,” informed the leader of Vinh Phu ward.

Excavators arrived to demolish the road on July 5. Photo: TH

On July 5, excavators were mobilized to demolish the road. However, according to the reporter's records on the afternoon of July 6, this spontaneous road has not been completely dismantled but only narrowed. Previously, the road was more than 5m wide and about 90m long. After being handled, the road is still nearly 2m wide and 90m long as before, the road surface is covered with a layer of rice field soil to cover it.

“On July 4, a ward team came down to inspect, the next day an excavator came to dig up the road and transport the concrete elsewhere. But they only dug up half of it, the part adjacent to the peanut field, the remaining 2m remained intact, just covered with soil. If the road was built wrongly, it should be completely dismantled, but if it was done right, it should be kept as is, why is it half-heartedly?”, a resident of Xuan Dong hamlet, an area formerly part of the old Nghi Duc ward, wondered.

The road after demolition is still nearly 2m wide and about 90m long. Photo: Tien Hung

Having been the Hamlet Chief and then the Party Cell Secretary of Xuan Dong Hamlet for 10 years, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung (73 years old) said that people have no need to travel on this road. “I was born and raised here so I know clearly that before that area was just a peanut field, there was never any road. The newly poured concrete road is a dead end, leading to some garden plots inside, there are no houses, so it does not serve the travel needs of the people, only serves personal purposes,” said Mr. Tung.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung - Secretary of the Party Cell of Xuan Dong hamlet told about the road that grew on agricultural land overnight. Video: Tien Hung

Mr. Tung also said that the road was built in just one night at the end of June, right when the old government was preparing to hand over, making many people think that the government built the road in the wrong location. "Less than 100m away, there is a dirt road that many people travel on, which has been included in the resolution to pour concrete for a long time but has not been built, and where there is no need, a concrete road is built, it is difficult to understand," Mr. Tung shared.

To cope, road dismantlers used dirt to cover the remaining concrete road. Photo: Tien Hung

According to the reporter's records, this concrete road, about 90m long, runs through 8 agricultural plots of land of the people. The remaining edge on the other side of the road is adjacent to the land for perennial crops. This new road is connected from Nghi Duc resettlement area, crossing the peanut fields of the people in the hamlet to go to the garden plots. According to the planning map of the old Nghi Duc ward, there are no residential plots around the road. "We know that in the past, a group of people came here to buy some garden plots at the end of the hamlet. But these garden plots have no exit. Maybe they secretly built this road so that they could convert that garden plot into residential land, divide it into plots and sell it at a higher price," another resident commented.

Mr. Nguyen Chien Thang, Head of Xuan Dong Hamlet, said that he only learned about the existence of this road after people reported it to the People's Committee of the old Nghi Duc Ward. However, Mr. Thai Huy Truong, former Vice Chairman in charge of the People's Committee of the old Nghi Duc Ward, now working at the Office of the People's Committee of Vinh Phu Ward, said that he did not receive this information.

The road before being demolished, was built on agricultural land in just one night. Photo: Tien Hung

On the afternoon of July 2, at the scene, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Tuan (52 years old, Vinh Phu ward) admitted that he was the one who built the road, and admitted that he built the road without permission from the authorities and encroached on part of the peanut-growing land.

"Actually, I was also asked to build this road. I have a younger brother who used to live in the garden plot inside, but now he has moved to another place. This area used to have an old road leading to my younger brother's house, but now I just poured concrete on top of it. It's just that the road is a bit wide, and it encroaches on agricultural land. The eight households with agricultural land also created conditions, and I didn't have to spend money to buy it from them," said Mr. Tuan.

About 80m from the concrete road built on agricultural land, there is a dirt road that people have high travel needs. The local government has included it in the Resolution but so far it has not been concreted. Photo: Tien Hung

However, people in Xuan Dong hamlet confirmed that this area is just a narrow rice field for production, there is no road, and the garden plots inside do not have houses or people living there. The leader of Vinh Phu ward's Economic - Infrastructure Department also confirmed that, after checking the map, the above area has no road, just a rice field.

Source: https://baonghean.vn/vu-con-duong-be-tong-moc-ra-tren-dat-nong-nghiep-chi-sau-1-dem-chinh-quyen-dia-phuong-yeu-cau-thao-do-hoan-tra-nguyen-trang-10301719.html