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DTiNews reporters win awards
  • By Lang Thuong | dtinews.vn | August 08, 2016 11:38 AM
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Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Tran Hong Has, has just awarded certificates of merit to three journalists at Dan Tri/DTiNews for their series of reports focusing on abuses in Lam Dong Province in issuing of a land use right certificate to a local family.

Ly Thi Toan Thang, head of Dan Tri/DTiNews' Office in HCM City, subeditor Nguyen Anh The, and reporter Tran Trung Kien conducted 60 investigative reports uncovering the wrongdoings of authorities in Lien Nghia Town, Duc Trong District when granting land use right certificate for the family of Dam Thi Lich.

 Reporter Tran Trung Kien and Dam Thi Lich holding her much awaited land use right certificate

"These investigations have helped the ministry receive accurate information and make the decision to ensure the legitimate rights of Lich's family," said the announcement on the ministry’s website.

Lich was involved in a long dispute with local authorities of Duc Trong District over the land use right certificate.

Before 1975, Lich's family had cleared nearly 4,000 square metres of scrub land. They had cultivated the land for 11 years before giving the usage of it to an agricultural co-operative in 1986, of which they were members. The local authorities gave them a lot of nearly 600 square metres for residential land.

In 1993, Lich asked Duc Trong District People's Committee for compensation for their 4,000 m2 of farm land which had been used for other purposes, but received no response.

When Lich prepared to asked for the land use right certificate for her residential land lot, the committee decided to divide it into two lots, 253.9 square metres of residential land and 310 m2 of farm land. However, they asked Lich to pay a land use fees of VND5.7 billion (USD253,900) for the residential land area.

Lich disagreed with the decision by Duc Trong People's Committee and had sent various complaints to agencies including Lam Dong Province's People Committee, Lam Dong Province's Party Committee, and the province's NA deputies calling for help. But she again received no response.

Lich then sought help from local media. DTiNews followed her story and published 60 stories which uncovered various wrongdoings.

And after the case was brought to the media and received lots of attention from the public, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Tran Hong Ha, on May 13 sent a delegation led by the head of the General Department of Land Management to Lam Dong to investigate the case.

The investigation team have found out various wrongdoings by local authorities in Duc Trong District and the minister then asked them to urgently grant the certificate to Lich's family.

Lich has been involved in a long dispute with local authorities of Duc Trong District over the land use right certificate.

Minister Ha also vowed to strictly punish all the individuals involved in the case after further investigations which will be sent to the prime minister before August 31.

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