Four years ago, the Hue City Agricultural and Rural Development Investment and Construction Project Management Board launched the Pho Loi - Moc Han - Phu Khe river flood drainage and National Highway 49 expansion project in Duong No Ward, with a total budget of 285 billion dong.

National Highway 49 through Duong No Ward cannot be expanded until the household relocates. Anh: Vo Thanh

The project, scheduled for completion by mid-2025, has only reached over 95% of its construction volume. The intersection of My An Bridge with National Highway 49 and over 35 meters of Pho Loi River embankment in My An residential group, Duong No Ward, remain unfinished. This is due to Duong Thanh Lung's family refusing to relocate; they are currently operating a beef stall in a temporary tent on approximately 40 square meters of land. The contractor has had to erect temporary barriers around the household.

Explaining the delay, which affects traffic safety and the Pho Loi River's flood drainage capacity, Duong Thanh Lung stated that his family wishes to hand over the site to the construction unit, but "due to difficult circumstances, we wouldn't know where to live after relocating."

According to Mr. Lung, his family has lived stably and run a beef business here for decades. Ward authorities stated that the family previously received resettlement land and is therefore ineligible for further site clearance compensation.

Every day, Mr. Lung's family sells beef from their temporary tent. Anh: Vo Thanh

Vo Van Thinh, Chairman of Duong No Ward, said that in 2007, the former Phu Vang district organized the relocation of households within the project area, and Mr. Lung's family received a resettlement plot of 158 square meters in My An village. After a period of financial hardship, the family sold that plot and returned to their old location to set up a beef stall.

Recently, Mr. Lung's family submitted an application for resettlement land, but they did not meet the eligibility requirements for support. "Local authorities will continue to persuade the household to voluntarily relocate. The final measure will be forced eviction to hand over the site to the contractor," Mr. Thinh stated.

Vo Thanh