Eight years after it was licensed, the project to develop Binh Tien Tourist Park in Cong Hai Commune in Ninh Thuan Province's Thuan Bac District has made no progress.— Photo laodong

by Le Hung Vong

Eight years after it was licensed, the project to develop Binh Tien Tourist Park in Cong Hai Commune in Ninh Thuan Province's Thuan Bac District has made no progress. No facility has been built on the land where 72 families live.

In August 2005, the People's Committee of Ninh Thuan Province granted a licence that allowed Binh Tien Investment & Tourism Joint-Stock Company to develop a tourist park on 190ha of land in Binh Tien Hamlet in Cong Hai Commune.

The project includes luxury hotels of 500 guestrooms, a 1,000-seat conference hall, 200 villas, a golf course and other facilities.

After licensing, Binh Tien Co increased investment in the project from VND550 billion to VND2,580 billion (nearly $122 million).

To carry out the project, 72 families have to relocate in another residential area in Cong Hai Commune.

Duong Van Tuu, one of the residents whose land was revoked, said the VND500 million ($23,640) he received for compensation of 6ha of land in Binh Tien Hamlet had been used to build a new house at the new residential area.

But there is no job for any members of his family at the new location.

Tuu said he had pinned his hope on the Binh Tien Tourist Park project which would offer employment opportunities, but construction of it had not started, leaving the vast area of Binh Tien uncultivated.

Pham Van Hoa, a member of Binh Tien Farmers Association, said as Binh Tien land was revoked local farmers had to sell out their herds because there was no more grass for their animals.

According to the chairman of the board of Binh Tien JSC, work on Binh Tien Tourist Park was delayed because the company had faced capital shortages while the design of the project was adjusted several times.

In a report sent to Ninh Thuan provincial authority, the company pledged to complete construction of its infrastructure and the golf course by the end of 2014, and construction of the five-star hotel and 80 of the 200 villas by the end of 2015. — VNS