HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội Inspectorate on Monday confirmed it would continue investigating violations related to forest land use and management in Hà Nội’s Sóc Sơn District after releasing its initial conclusions on the violations last week.

According to the inspectorate’s prior conclusions, buildings illegally constructed in 2017 and 2018 in the district must be dismantled.

Despite the ruling, public concern has persisted about violations committed before 2017, many of which were detected as early as 2005 but still have not been dismantled.

Hà Nội Inspectorate on Tuesday sent Thanh niên (Young People) newspaper a written response to the concern that reads: “For structures built from 2006 to 2018 that violate land use and management regulations, the inspectorate will continue its examination and inspection and then offer recommendations to tackle the violations.”

Since 2006, the Government Inspectorate has issued conclusions on land use violations in Sóc Sơn District and recommended punishments, but district authorities have been slow to follow through with enforcement.

On March 13, the Hà Nội Inspectorate recommended the municipal People’s Committee ask Sóc Sơn District People’s Committee to implement the Government Inspectorate’s conclusions.

The Hà Nội Inspectorate said it would give relevant documents on the land transfer that led to illegal construction in 2008 to the police for further investigation.

Hundreds of violations related to forest land use and management have been detected in the province since 2005, but many of the perpetrators have yet to be punished.

People bought dozens of hectares of protection forest land to build houses, villas, resorts and restaurants.

In 2017, district authorities discovered 555 illegally constructed buildings, of which 485 have not been taken down.

The Hà Nội Inspectorate’s comprehensive inspection of land management and use in the district was ordered by municipal People’s Committee Chairman Nguyễn Đức Chung.

In its conclusions released last week, the inspectorate determined the district People’s Committee and authorities of eight communes and towns including Minh Trí, Minh Phú, Hiền Ninh, Quang Tiến, Phù Linh, Nam Sơn, Bắc Sơn, Hồng Kì and Tiên Dược are responsible for the violations because of their poor management. — VNS