NINH BÌNH — Several public management agencies were responsible for the recent construction project at a heritage site that violated the Cultural Heritage Law, the Ninh Bình Province People’s Committee said.

The information was released in a report by Ninh Bình Province People’s Committee following a 45-day investigation on the construction work at the Cát Hạ Mountain inside the Tràng An Herigate Site.

According to the report, the Tràng An Tourism Joint Stock Company exploited the agencies’ improper forest, heritage, tourism, and construction management and took advantage of loopholes to illegally build public toilets as well as a staircase leading to the Cát Hạ Mountain.  

The report also said the directors of the agencies, which included the departments of natural resources and environment, agriculture and rural development, construction, tourism, and forest rangers, must take responsibility for these violations.

The heads of the Trường Yên Commune People’s Committee and the Hoa Lư District People’s Committee were identified as having direct administrative management over the heritage site and the structures built in it.

On June 6, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism announced that Tràng An Company, which is headed by Nguyễn Văn Son, engaged in illegal activities by contructing a staircase, handrails, and other support facilities, as well as receiving tourists without permission, in violation of the Law of Cultural Heritage.

According to Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper, the company started building the structures in mid-2017 and completed the projects after six months.

Local authorities and the Tràng An Culture Tourism Site Management Board sent warnings to the company several times during construction, and the Ninh Bình Province Department of Tourism asked the company to stop building at the site. At the same time, the Trường Yên Commune People’s Committee attempted to warn the company about its activities from August to December last year. However, these attempts had little impact as the company refused to heed the warnings and continued building the structures.

In another development, the Ninh Bình Province People’s Committee gave the company until June 15 to remove the illegal structures. The company has promised to dismantle the staircase in May, but by May 31, 50 per cent of the construction remained in place. — VNS