Major General Nguyễn Văn Đức, head of the Department of Information and Training under the General Department of Politics of the Việt Nam People’s Army, speaks during a press briefing at the ministry on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of National Defence will impose severe penalties on individuals and organisations that commit wrongdoings related to the use and management of military land, a top official has said.

Major General Nguyễn Văn Đức, head of the Department of Information and Training at the General Department of Politics of the Việt Nam People’s Army, made the statement on Tuesday following media inquiries about misuse of military land, an issue that has attracted public concern for two years.

Since 2017, the ministry has prohibited official units from signing contracts with others to start projects on military land, and has taken back land lots involved in these violations, he said.

The standing board of the Central Military Commission has so far revoked 398 military land lots covering 979ha.

As many as 385 military land lots covering 4,634ha have been handed over to local administrations to serve local socio-economic development, Đức said.

He said the move had demonstrated that the Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defence were determined to deal with violations concerning military land use.

The commission and ministry had always created conditions for localities to develop their socio-economies, he added.

A number of military land use and management violations have been detected in recent years. Military officials involved in the violations were discovered and later punished. — VNS