Efforts to Handover Land for the Cai River Riverside Road and Central Axis Road Projects in Bien Hoa City by Q1-2025

​(News Portal – Dong Nai) - The Cai River Riverside Road and the Central Axis Road in Bien Hoa City are two key provincial projects currently lagging behind schedule. The primary cause are delays in land compensation and clearance.

The provincial People's Committee leaders have directed that land acquisition for both projects must be completed by the first quarter of 2025. ​

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee met with relevant units regarding land clearance for the two projects. 

Land Clearance Challenges
The Central Axis Road Project in Bien Hoa City and the Cai River Riverside Road Project aim to complete the urban technical infrastructure system, reduce congestion on existing roads, and create new development spaces. However, the implementation of these projects has been delayed, primarily due to slow progress in land compensation and clearance.

For the Central Axis Road Project in Bien Hoa City, Mr. Chu Tien Dung, Director of the Provincial Land Fund Development Center, stated that the project requires the acquisition of more than 33 hectares of land from 390 households in Thong Nhat and Hiep Hoa wards. As of now, the center has carried out compensation activities, with over 91% of the land area approved by the Bien Hoa City People's Committee. About 68% of the land has been handed over to the construction unit. It is expected that by the end of this week, the compensation plans for the entire project area will be finalized.

However, Mr. Chu Tien Dung acknowledged that while most of the compensation plans are nearing completion, the process of persuading residents to hand over the land has been slow. This is because Bien Hoa City has not yet identified resettlement locations to reassure affected households. Additionally, some cases have not yet had their usages transition support policies approved, further delaying land handover.

Similarly, for the Cai River Riverside Road Project (from Ha Huy Giap Street to Tran Quoc Toan Street), Bien Hoa City has approved compensation and support plans for nearly 90% of the required land area. However, less than 50% of the land committed by residents has been handed over. Many households have yet to receive approved compensation plans or resettlement arrangements.

According to Mr. Vu Quoc Thai, Vice Chairman of the Bien Hoa City People's Committee, the biggest issue with the Cai River Riverside Road Project is the land plots related to the Go Me Cooperative, which have no basis for compensation and support payments, making it challenging to mobilize land handovers. Resettlement areas for this project are still under development, creating difficulties in persuading households to dismantle their homes and hand over the land. Furthermore, there are unresolved issues related to compensation policies for architectural structures on the land.

Mr. Nguyen Linh, Deputy Director of the Provincial Investment and Construction Management Board, noted that delays in land handover have significantly impacted project construction, prolonging timelines and increasing costs. In some cases, land has been handed over by residents but not in contiguous sections, preventing construction from proceeding. 

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The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee inspects the Central Axis Road Project in Bien Hoa City. 

Ensuring Resettlement for Residents
According to Bien Hoa City leaders, most residents agree with the land acquisition policy for project implementation, recognizing its importance for the city's and province's socio-economic development. However, their primary concern is the compensation, support, and resettlement policies when their land is acquired.

In recent times, several factors have delayed the public disclosure of compensation plans, disbursement of support payments, and resettlement arrangements for residents. Regarding compensation, changes in regulations on specific methods for determining land prices and difficulties in finding land valuation advisory units have delayed the approval of land prices for compensation calculations. Residents have also expressed concerns that compensation land prices are lower than market rates, resulting in delays in land handovers. Additionally, resettlement projects are not ready, leaving residents uncertain about handing over their land. The simultaneous implementation of multiple projects has also slowed the processing and verification of related documents.

During an on-site inspection of the two projects and meetings with relevant stakeholders in early December 2024, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Van Phi assigned specific tasks. From now until January 15, 2025, the Provincial Land Fund Development Center must focus on completing compensation and land clearance for the entire area required for the Central Axis Road Project. Concurrently, Bien Hoa City must review ongoing resettlement projects and the number of available plots, notify residents of resettlement locations, and provide temporary housing policies to reassure residents and expedite land handover.

For the Cai River Riverside Road Project, Vice Chairman Vo Van Phi directed Bien Hoa City to accelerate the verification of land origins to proceed with compensation and support procedures. Efforts to raise awareness and persuade residents to hand over land must be intensified, with enforcement measures applied for those who refuse to comply. The goal is to hand over all land to the construction unit before the Lunar New Year 2025.​

Provincial leaders have also emphasized the need for provincial departments to advise on shortening the timeline for implementing social housing projects to accommodate resettlement needs. According to the 2023 Housing Law, first-tier urban areas are not permitted to develop new resettlement areas. Departments must also propose mechanisms for the provincial People's Committee to seek approval from the Provincial Party Committee to prioritize purchasing social housing for cases ineligible for resettlement and to provide temporary housing support for those waiting for social housing.