Vice Premier on Resettlement of Three Gorges Project-Affected PeopleVice Premier Wu Bangguo has urged the local governments concerned to place more importance on the relocation of people affected by the mammoth Three Gorges Hydraulic Project in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.The resettlement of some residents of Chongqing Municipality, where the main part of the Three Gorges project is located, to other parts of the country is related to how smooth the whole dam project has proceeded and the social stability in the Three Gorges area as well as the interest of the migrants, he said. Wu made these remarks today at a meeting in Jiaxing, in east China's Zhejiang Province, to study the current experiment of relocating some of the Three Gorges residents to other areas. The meeting was attended by officials from concerned central and local government departments. During the meeting, the vice premier and other officials visited two local villages that have accepted migrants from the Three Gorges area. The dam project, which started in 1993, has entered its second phase of construction, the vice premier said. He also said that all the programs involved in the project are proceeding smoothly and according to schedule, with sufficient financial support and good quality. Wu, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that the CPC Central Committee and the State Council are giving the issue of resettlement their top priority. Last year, the government readjusted its relocation plan to encourage more migrants to move to other parts of the country, Wen said. Shanghai and 10 provinces are planning to accept over 70,000 migrants from the Three Gorges, he said. By October 7, 546 residents living in the Three Gorges are expected to settle in other areas, where local governments will provide better living conditions for them, including housing, communications and telecommunications, schooling, and medical services, according to the official. Over 60,000 people will be relocated in 2001 and 2002, he said. Wu urged the migrants to work hard and respect local traditions where they now live, while these places should regard the reception of the migrants as a way of supporting the Three Gorges Project which belongs to all the Chinese people. He also urged that procedures should be strictly followed to check who qualifies to be relocated, so as to prevent the resettlement of those who are not qualified for it. Meanwhile, the official pledged to severely punish those who have embezzled and misused special funds for the resettlement of the affected people. |
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