Farmers who have been resettled for the construction of
reservoirs are entitled to 20 years' financial support, according
to a new regulation.
The government has begun to identify those qualified among the
20 million who have been moved during the process of building more
than 3,300 medium and big-size reservoirs since 1949.
Each resettled farmer who moved before July 1 this year can
obtain 600 yuan (US$75) every year to buy basic living necessities
or use as "seed money" for further development.
For new movers, the same 20-year benefit will start once they
finish resettlement.
The measures were part of a State Council regulation unveiled
yesterday.
According to the National Development and Reform Commission, the
financial support will mainly come from electricity revenues.
At the end of June, the commission decided to raise retail
prices of electricity by an average of 0.025 yuan (0.31 of a US
cent) per kilowatt-hour (kwh) for the first time since May
2005.
"Nearly 40 percent of the revenues from the hike will benefit
the farmers," said sources with the commission.
In addition to the financial support, the price hikes are
intended to resolve the contradictions caused by rising coal
prices, promote the development of renewable energy, install
desulphurization facilities at coal-fired power plants and fund
more power grid projects, said the official.
According to the regulation due to take effect on September 1,
those displaced who registered as urban residents will not benefit
from the regulation.
The State Council vowed to guarantee "freedom" for farmers on
how to use the annual subsidy.
"They can choose to invest them into a local project fund for
further development through democratic decision-making or they can
get cash to buy food and clothes," said regulation.
It said the support after resettlement is an addition to
compensation for trees, farming facilities and other personal
assets on the land, which should be paid directly and in full by
the local county-level governments to farmers.
The regulation said that the compensation should be 16 times the
average annual output value of the land being acquired, and allow
the farmers to maintain their living standards.
The State Council also required relevant departments and local
governments to stop malpractices when implementing the
measures.
"We should ensure qualified farmers really see and use the
money," said the State Council.
In the Three Gorges Dam Project alone, 327 cases regarding the
mismanagement of resettlement funds, with 369 suspects and 55.79
million yuan (US$6.89 million) involved, had been found by the end
of last year. Funds for displaced residents have reached 45.3
billion yuan (US$5.59 billion), said the Three Gorges Construction
Committee.
(China Daily August 14, 2006)