The government is planning to relocate the municipal zone of Xekong province's Kaleum district by the end of this year to clear the way for the planned Xekong 4 hydropower project.
Deputy provincial governor and Head of the relocation committee, Mr Lieng Khamphoun, told the Vientiane Times yesterday that the plan to move the town is currently being drawn up and will soon be finished.
He added that the new town will include developed public infrastructure such as a secure water supply, irrigation system for farming, an electricity grid and road access.
Two villages in the municipal zone will be relocated by the end of the year, while several other villages outside the zone, which will be also affected by the project, will be relocated later once the planned project is implemented.
Affected people will be compensated and officials will allocate land for them in line with government policy, the deputy governor said.
The government will initially pay the compensation to village residents, as well as footing the bill for relocation-related work and construction of facilities including the district's administrative office, but the Xekong 4 hydropower project is obliged to repay the money later once the project is realised.
The new 800 hectare site of the district's municipal zone is located 92km northeast of the provincial urban centre.
Mr Lieng said all relevant sectors, including the private company responsible for relocating residents, reached consensus that final town planning, design, activities and budget plan would be approved by the end of this year.
By that time, the authorities intend to relocate district administrative offices, other facilities and townspeople to the new location.
On May 9, Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad visited the province and supervised the relocation-related work, according to the Lao News Agency.
The deputy premier advised the authorities to identify an appropriate location for the new district administrative offices and other facilities.
Mr Somsavat also suggested officials in charge make use of lessons learnt from similar situations during construction of the Nam Theun II hydropower plant, so they could properly relocate local residents.
“Relocation must be realised by the wellbeing of the relocated people, for instance what job they can do, as well as what planting areas they are given to make a living,” the deputy premier was quoted as saying by the Lao News Agency.
Once a clear plan is finalised, Mr Somsavat asked the officials to submit the plan to the central government and the National Leading Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication.
