Farming land used for manufacturing 'illegally'
By Ding Yining |
August 22, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
LEGAL researchers say officials in Baoding City in northern China's Hebei Province have been forging land transfer agreements to seize agricultural land for industrial projects, including Mengniu Dairy Group's production facilities.
Baoding City is said to have been allocating agricultural land to a number of companies, including Mengniu, before gaining the legal consent of local land owners since 2006, according to the website of Caixin Century, which cited research by Beijing ICS Law Firm.
The firm said Wangdu County in Baoding granted use of more than 300 mu, or about 200,000 square meters of land for 40 years to Mengniu in 2006 and 2007 without approval for construction of projects on the land.
Official land transfer approval came only at the end of 2007.
Caixin quoted Li Zengle, a farmer in the county, as saying: "This was against the government regulation, which requires that agricultural land transfers should be approved by the State Council.
"The local government forced us to sign an agreement to transfer the land use in 2007 and even forged the signatures of farmers' representatives."
Caixin claimed the county's government compensation scheme was set at 17,066 yuan (US$2,666) per mu, much lower than the 29,670 yuan per mu set by the Hebei Province Department of Land and Resources.
Wangdu's government is also said to have refused to compensate 31 households for the loss of their farming land and also failed to put in place social welfare plans for them.
According to the law firm's research, Mengniu's dairy production project took only 10 months from initial planning to the start of operations.
More industrial projects are expected to be introduced into Wangdu County, which will eventually occupy about 2,000 acres, according to local residents.
Manufacturers that have already started operation in Wangdu county include Xinu'er Men's Clothing Co and Yihai Grain and Oil Co.
Baoding City is said to have been allocating agricultural land to a number of companies, including Mengniu, before gaining the legal consent of local land owners since 2006, according to the website of Caixin Century, which cited research by Beijing ICS Law Firm.
The firm said Wangdu County in Baoding granted use of more than 300 mu, or about 200,000 square meters of land for 40 years to Mengniu in 2006 and 2007 without approval for construction of projects on the land.
Official land transfer approval came only at the end of 2007.
Caixin quoted Li Zengle, a farmer in the county, as saying: "This was against the government regulation, which requires that agricultural land transfers should be approved by the State Council.
"The local government forced us to sign an agreement to transfer the land use in 2007 and even forged the signatures of farmers' representatives."
Caixin claimed the county's government compensation scheme was set at 17,066 yuan (US$2,666) per mu, much lower than the 29,670 yuan per mu set by the Hebei Province Department of Land and Resources.
Wangdu's government is also said to have refused to compensate 31 households for the loss of their farming land and also failed to put in place social welfare plans for them.
According to the law firm's research, Mengniu's dairy production project took only 10 months from initial planning to the start of operations.
More industrial projects are expected to be introduced into Wangdu County, which will eventually occupy about 2,000 acres, according to local residents.
Manufacturers that have already started operation in Wangdu county include Xinu'er Men's Clothing Co and Yihai Grain and Oil Co.
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