Recovering nearly a million square meters of paddy fields
The Provincial People’s Council of Bac Giang has recently issued a Resolution approving the adjustment and supplementation of the list of projects requiring land recovery and projects that convert paddy fields for other purposes in 2024 in Bac Giang province (phase 1).
Accordingly, the Resolution has approved 85 land-use projects. Specifically, it approved 37 projects requiring land recovery with a total area of ​​over 1 million m², including nearly 774 thousand m² of paddy fields and over 237 thousand m² of other land; and approved 5 projects converting land-use purpose.
Among the projects on this list, there are some large-scale paddy field recovery projects such as Zone 1 in Urban Area No. 11, 12 in the Planning Zone No. 2, Bac Giang City (in Huong Gian commune, Yen Dung district) with a total recovery area of ​​187,000 m², including over 180,000 m² of paddy fields.
Next is the Van Trung Social Housing Area (NOXH), Viet Yen district, recovering 77,000 m² of land, including 71,000 m² of paddy fields and 6,000 m² of other land.
Van Trung Social Housing Area, Van Trung commune, Viet Yen district, recovers 71,000 m² of paddy fields for implementation of the project. (Photo: Lap Dong)
The Resolution also adjusted the area, name, location, and land type of 43 projects approved by the Provincial People’s Council in Resolutions No. 30/NQ-HDND dated October 4, 2022, No. 39/NQ-HDND dated December 9, 2022, No. 10/NQ-HDND dated April 5, 2023, No.29/NQ-HDND dated July 14, 2023, No. 57/NQ-HDND dated October 19, 2023, and No. 76/NQ-HDND dated December 13, 2023.
Among them, the Hương Sơn Industrial Cluster (in Huong Son commune, Lang Giang district) increased its area from 350,000 m² to 384,000 m², including an increase in the area of ​​recovered paddy fields from 19,000 m² to 53,000 m².
Many frustrated investors
Over the years, Bac Giang has continuously approved industrial park projects, industrial clusters, urban areas, and social housing projects to promote socio-economic development. As a result, many millions of square meters of paddy fields have been recovered to serve land clearance work and contribute to changing the local landscape. Although significant results have been achieved, the conversion of large areas of paddy fields for other purposes and the implementation of projects still face some difficulties, leading to disruptions in the progress of many projects.
A case in point is the Van Trung Social Housing Area project by FuGiang Co., Ltd. This 16.7-ha project with a total investment of over $166 million has faced delays due to the lack of consensus among local residents regarding land clearance work and the coordination work of some departments and agencies in arranging accommodation for foreign experts to stay in some project sites that did not meet the requirements.
The Van Trung Social Housing Area project by FuGiang Co., Ltd. has been delayed due to a lack of consensus among residents regarding land clearance work. (Photo: Lap Dong)
In addition to the aforementioned project, many NOXH projects in Bac Giang province have faced issues related to unauthorized construction and have been penalized by local authorities multiple times.
In particular, the Bac Giang Provincial People’s Committee has issued a series of administrative penalties for construction violations and unauthorized construction activities in the real estate ecosystem named “Fuji”. Notably, Mr. Giang, the CEO of several companies such as Fuji Bac Giang Development Joint Stock Company, Fuji Investment and Development Co., Ltd., and Fuji Van Trung Development Company Limited, is also a legal representative.
The NOXH project for workers in Noi Hoang commune, Yen Dung district, developed by Fuji Bac Giang Development Joint Stock Company, was accused of “blocking roads” and filling up drainage channels, causing flooding in houses. (Photo: Lap Dong)
As for Fuji Bac Giang Development Joint Stock Company, this is the developer of the NOXH project for workers in Noi Hoang commune, Yen Dung district. It is worth noting that this project was previously accused by residents of blocking local roads and filling up residential drainage channels, causing flooding, although later the project developer reached an agreement with the residents and partially addressed the issues mentioned. Nevertheless, to this day, the Tuoi Tre newspaper has received numerous reports from residents regarding this matter…
In another case, the Evergreen Bac Giang NOXH project for workers in Nenh town, Viet Yen district (Viet Yen township), caused controversy when real estate brokers illegally set up tents to sell and collect price differences for apartments and shophouses in the project, disturbing the market before obtaining the necessary conditions for sales. Subsequently, the Department of Construction conducted inspections, checks, and reported to the Ministry of Construction. In addition, the Bac Giang Provincial People’s Committee issued a decision on administrative penalties for real estate business violations by Everland Real Estate Service Joint Stock Company, the real estate brokerage company at the Evergreen Bac Giang project.
The current state of the Evergreen Bac Giang project. (Photo: Lap Dong)
According to the information, Everland has registered its headquarters at No. 18, Lane 28, Alley 463 Doi Can, Vinh Phuc Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. This company, with Ms. Nguyen Thi Loc as the Director and legal representative, was granted a business license on November 23, 2021 (exactly one month after the Evergreen Bac Giang project started construction).
However, when visiting the registered address as the company’s headquarters, the place turned out to be a three-story private house located at the end of a secluded alley. There was no advertising sign related to real estate activities in front of the house, and no one was seen entering or leaving the house for transactions, nor any signs indicating that it was the office of a real estate company distributing products for a billion-dong project.
Sharing with the press, a resident living near No. 18 revealed that this house is owned by a person named C., who has rented it out. Despite claiming to be the exclusive distributor of real estate products at the project with a total investment of over VND 2,300 billion, Everland has publicly disclosed only a few phone numbers in the deposit contracts. The press has contacted these numbers multiple times, but nobody answered. Meanwhile, the two phone numbers of the legal representatives that were published along with Everland’s tax code were both reported by the switchboard as incorrect and non-existent…
