Directive No. 815/TTg On Planning and Construction of Residential Areas in the Mekong Delta Provinces

 DIRECTIVE

ON THE PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN THE PROVINCES OF THE MEKONG DELTA

At present, due to long-standing agricultural practices and lifestyles or other economic and social reasons, the current distribution of population in many areas of the provinces in the Mekong Delta remains overly scattered, with residents living directly on newly developed land, at certain levels still bearing characteristics of a natural economy. Meanwhile, in some densely populated areas, numerous difficulties and imbalances in living conditions have emerged. Such a distribution of population has hindered the capacity for economic development, improved material and spiritual life of the people, posed significant obstacles to the development of infrastructure, human resources, and limited the ability to prevent annual floods.

To implement the task of developing and exploiting the potential of the Mekong Delta in the new period to promote economic, cultural, and social development, enhance the ability to prevent natural disasters, especially in remote, flood-prone areas, the Prime Minister instructs:

1. The redistribution of population in the provinces of the Mekong Delta is an urgent task, decisive for the economic and social development of the provinces in the region.

By the end of the second quarter of 1996, each province must complete the planning of residential areas for the next 5 to 15 years. Based on the approved planning, it is necessary to gradually establish and implement projects for constructing new residential areas, initially from now until the year 2000.

2. In the construction of residential area planning in the Mekong Delta, attention must be paid to the following issues:

- Based on the overall planning of the Mekong Delta and the provinces, this planning must be consistent with the economic, social, and natural conditions of each locality, ensuring the direction, goals, and key indicators for economic and social development at each stage, ensuring balance among economic, social, and ecological environmental aspects.

- Based on customs, traditions, and specific conditions, determine models of production and lifestyle of the people along lines, clusters, or other feasible models... to build residential areas with reasonable size and population, meeting requirements for economic development, disaster prevention, social order, national defense security.

- Allocate residential land suitable to the local land fund, reserve land for the construction of economic and social infrastructure such as roads, irrigation, electricity, water supply, schools, health clinics, cemeteries, cultural facilities... to create conditions for people to access full services, social welfare, and improve environmental sanitation.

- Based on the flood control level determined in the Mekong Delta flood control planning, select appropriate construction forms for houses and other types of works to ensure that essential activities of the people are not interrupted during flood periods.

3. The construction of residential areas must follow the principle: not causing major disruptions in people's lives, gradually adjusting step-by-step to achieve set goals and objectives, from low to high, from parts to the whole. Initially, gather scattered residential points, relocate residential points at risk of collapse into reasonable clusters and lines.

After the planning is approved, it must be widely publicized to inform the people so they can proactively plan their stable housing construction and long-term livelihood plans.

4. The construction of residential areas mainly relies on the strength of the people and local resources that can be mobilized, encouraging mutual assistance among the people, paying attention to families under social policy and poor families. State assistance mainly focuses on the construction of infrastructure.

5. The construction of residential areas is a joint effort between the state and the people. According to their functions, departments and levels have the responsibility to participate and closely coordinate as follows:

- The People's Committees of the provinces in the Mekong Delta are responsible for organizing the planning and implementation of provincial planning.

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must complete the Mekong Delta flood control planning (assigned tasks in Decisions 569-TTg dated October 11, 1994; 681-TTg dated October 21, 1995) by the first quarter of 1996 to provide necessary bases for the planning of residential areas in the provinces in the region. Simultaneously, the Ministry acts as the lead agency coordinating with central ministries and sectors to assist, guide, inspect, and urge the provinces in this work.

- The Ministry of Planning and Investment is responsible for helping the provinces coordinate residential area planning with the overall planning of the Mekong Delta, provincial overall planning, and balancing implementation plans; jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to organize the review of residential area planning in the provinces.

- The Ministry of Finance will consult with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to subsidize funds for investigation, research, and planning for the provinces; together with the State Bank help the provinces determine investment capital sources and fundraising methods for implementing the planning.

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development together with the General Department of Land Administration study and propose measures to handle issues related to farmland arising from the planning, such as changing rice cultivation land to residential land, allocating land for people moving to new residences...

- The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Environment help the provinces plan residential areas and solutions for building infrastructure and housing to meet the above requirements.

- The Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, and other relevant ministries and sectors according to their functions, help the provinces study solutions for developing cultural and social fields in residential areas.

Planning residential areas in the Mekong Delta is an urgent task that cannot be delayed. The Prime Minister requests the People's Committees of the provinces in the region and relevant ministries and sectors to urgently organize the implementation of this directive.