8 people injured in a mob fight in Lao Cai: Temporarily stop construction of the May Ho hydroelectric dam

On the afternoon of March 17, discussed with PV Infoneta leader of the Lao Cai provincial police said that the Sa Pa town police agency had summoned the people involved in the scuffle that happened on March 14, which injured dozens of people, to clarify. case.

The area where the incident occurred.

According to information from the People’s Committee of Lao Cai province, up to this point (March 17 – PV), the Sa Pa town government has resolved the scuffle that occurred in Lu Khau village, Ngu Chi Son commune on March 14. between local people and a group of hydropower construction workers in the area.

The cause of the scuffle was determined to be due to some salmon farming households preventing the construction of hydropower plants.

Specifically, during the construction of the hydropower project, there are 3 households raising 3 salmon farms downstream of the dam, including Mr. Chao Dan Quat in Can Ho B village, Mr. Ly Quat Van and Mr. Ly Kien Vang, all living in the village. Lu Khau village, Ngu Chi Son commune. Although the farm area of ​​these 3 households is not in the area that needs to be cleared for the project, but because of fear that the construction hydropower project will deplete the water source, affecting fish farming, so households have repeatedly blocked the construction of hydroelectricity.

Security forces arrived to disperse the chaotic crowd.

The investor side, May Ho Energy Co., Ltd. had previously met and had a dialogue to capture the people’s thoughts and aspirations, but the people asked for too much support, so the two sides did not agree.

Until March 14, May Ho Energy Company Limited still allowed the construction unit (An Phu Company) to carry out the construction and leveling. When seeing workers working, the households came out to prevent it, leading to an incident.

At 11:00 on March 14, when workers of An Phuc Company were constructing the main dam foundation pit in Lu Khau village, 20 people in Ngu Chi Son commune prevented and assaulted a group of people from the project construction unit. hydroelectric project.

The group of people involved in the case were summoned by the police to the headquarters to make a record of handling.

At about 14:00, the two sides got into a fight, injuring 14 people, of which 6 people were taken to the general clinic of Ngu Chi Son commune and the General Hospital of Sa Pa town for first aid. During construction of May Ho hydropower plant, 8 people were injured.

On the morning of March 15, the town’s People’s Committee held a direct working session with the leadership of May Ho Energy Co., Ltd., representatives of 02 villages of Lu Khau and Can Ho B and representatives of households related to the incident.

The parties have come to an agreement: the construction enterprise of May Ho hydropower plant, An Phu Construction Company Limited, will support and compensate households and 2 villages in Ngu Chi Son commune with an amount of 520 million VND. .

Specifically, 17 cases of people being injured due to scuffles were compensated according to the agreement with each object, divided into two levels of 5 million and 80 million dong depending on the severity; only 2 cases were supported 15 million and 90 million dong because they were worse.

In addition, the collective of people in two villages had a conflict with Company workers (including Can Ho B village and Lu Khau village, Ngu Chi Son commune) with 20 million VND each.

The construction of the May Ho hydroelectric head dam will also have to be temporarily suspended until the compensation for households is completed and a compensation plan is available for fish farming households affected by the process. construct the construction.

The people also pledged that they would not continue to cause disturbances and insecurity in the locality, affecting the construction process of the project after having a plan to support and compensate the households as agreed.

Currently, Sa Pa town People’s Committee is continuing to direct functional agencies to coordinate with local authorities to verify and strictly handle according to the provisions of law on acts of mass gathering and carrying crude weapons. profile; at the same time, strengthen the mobilization of the people to well observe the guidelines and policies of the Party and the laws of the State, not to believe and listen to bad actors instigating them.

Sa Pa Town People’s Committee requires May Ho Energy Co., Ltd., during the process of construction, living and working, need to regularly meet and discuss with the people, receive opinions, and solve difficulties together; not to gather in large numbers or use weapons to threaten the people, causing further tension in the situation and insecurity and order in the locality; at the same time, to completely solve the work of compensation and ground clearance at the construction site of the hydropower project and the questions of the people in the past time…

May Ho Hydropower Project has a capacity of 6.5MW, the investor is May Ho Energy Company Limited; construction site at Ngu Chi Son Commune, Sa Pa town. Time to start the project from May 28, 2021; completion time April 2024 (according to Decision on adjustment of investment policy No. 4720/QD-UBND dated December 31, 2021 of Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee).

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