China to intensify inspections on land expropriation
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China's inspection and supervision authorities will step up checking unlawful and forced land expropriations and house demolitions, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The commission has ordered greater efforts to target house demolitions cases in which the supply of water, heating, gas, power and road links are cut to force homeowners to move, said the commission in a statement to Xinhua on Thursday.
Local inspection and supervision organs were also asked to strengthen the fight against forced land expropriation that involves practices of violence and threats, the statement added.
The commission said that inspection efforts should be put in place to ensure that house demolitions and expropriations are processed legally and that compensation is distributed fairly to homeowners, especially those in rural areas.
It further said the country's house expropriation regulations, which were unveiled in January this year, should be fully implemented.
Local government agencies should be urged to handle legitimate petitions from the public in a serious way. The departments should also process land expropriations only after gaining support from local residents.
If illegal police participation is discovered in house demolitions, or violent or unexpected incidents occurred because of dereliction of duty of authorities, officials involved will be held to account, according to the statement.
