Social Monitoring Report
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Social Monitoring Report Semiannual Report July–December 2015 ARM: North–South Road Corridor Investment Program Loan 2729-ARM: Tranche 2 (Ashtarak–Talin) Loan 2993 ARM: Tranche 3 (Talin–Lanjik) Prepared by the “Organization for Implementation of North–South Road Corridor Investment Program” State Non-Commercial Organization for the Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Republic of Armenia and the Asian Development Bank. Social Monitoring Report Semiannual Report July-December 2015 Armenia: North-South Road Corridor Investment Program Asian Development Bank Loan No. 2729-ARM - Tranche 2 (Ashtarak – Talin) Asian Development Bank Loan No. 2993-ARM - Tranche 3 (Talin-Lanjik) Prepared by “North South Road Corridor Investment Project Management Unit” State Non- Commercial Organization for the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Armenia and the Asian Development Bank. 1 CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (As of 30 October 2015) Currency unit – AMD AMD 1.00 = $ 0.0021151 $1.00 = AMD 472.78 The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. 2 ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank AH Affected Households AMD Armenian Dram AP Affected Person EA Executing Agency EM Entitlement Matrix GoA Government of Armenia GRM Grievance Redress Mechanism GRG Grievance Redress Group GHP Grievance Focal Person IMA/EMA Independent Monitoring Agency/External Monitoring Agency IC/IT Implementation Consultant/Implementation Team LAR Land Acquisition & Resettlement LARF Land Acquisition & Resettlement Framework LARP Land Acquisition & Resettlement Plan LGBs Local Self- Governing Bodies MFF Multi-Tranche Financing Facility MOTC Ministry of Transport and Communications NGO Non-Government Organization NSRCP North South Road Corridor Project PGC Project Governing Council PMC Project Management Consultant PMU Project Management Unit RA Republic of Armenia SCREC State Committee of Real Estate Cadaster SEU Social and Environmental Unit SPS Safeguard Policy Statement T2/T3 Tranche 2 and T3 of the North South Corridor Road Project 3 GLOSSARY Affected Household The affected household as a whole. This unit operates as a single (AH) economic and domestic unit and may consist of an individual, a single nuclear family or an extended family. This is the significant unit receiving compensation/rehabilitation. Affected Person Any person (individual) affected by Project-related changes in use of /People (AP) land, water, natural resources, or income losses. Compensation Payment in cash or in kind of the replacement cost of the acquired assets. Eminent Domain A regulatory measure by government to obtain land. Entitlement Range of measures comprising compensation, income restoration, transfer assistance, income substitution, and relocation which are due to affected people, depending on the nature of their losses, to restore their economic and social base. Expropriation Government’s action in taking or modifying property rights in the exercise of the right of Eminent Domain. Informal Tenants An Affected Person who uses affected agricultural land or asset based on an informal agreement with an absent owner or the community as confirmed by a statement from a Community Leader. Land Acquisition The process whereby a person is compelled by a government agency to alienate all or part of the land a person owns or possesses to the ownership and possession of the government agency for public purpose in return for compensation. Relocation The physical relocation of an AP/AH from her/his pre-Project place of residence requiring the rebuilding of housing or assets, in another location. Resettlement All measures taken to mitigate any and all adverse impacts of the Project on AP’s property and/or livelihood, including compensation, relocation (where relevant), and rehabilitation of the damaged/removed infrastructure and installations. Resettlement Plan A time-bound action plan with budget setting out resettlement strategy, objectives, entitlement, actions, responsibilities, monitoring and evaluation. Vulnerable Affected Vulnerable AH are households that are: (a) Poor AH registered in the Households (AH) Family Benefit System of the MLSI of RA; (b) women-headed AH without another AH member with income, or (c) AH headed by a pensioner without another household member with income. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................................... 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... 6 A. TRANCHE 2 (ASHTARAK -TALIN): LARP IMPLEMENTATION .................................................... 7 1. PROJECT BACKGROUND ................................................................................................... 7 2. GENERAL PROGRESS OF LARP IMPLEMENTATION........................................................ 8 3. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL MONITORING OF LARP IMPLEMENTATION ......................................................................................................................... 9 4. STATUS OF EXPROPRIATION CASES ..............................................................................10 5. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM .............................12 5.1 Public Consultation and Information Disclosure .............................................................12 5.2 Grievances received by PMU and MOTC ......................................................................12 5.3 Status of complaints submitted to ADB..........................................................................13 6. PLANNED WORKS FOR THE NEXT REPORTING PERIOD...............................................13 B. TRANCHE 3 (TALIN-LANJIK): LARP PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION .................... 15 1. PROJECT BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................15 2. STATUS OF PREPARATION AND APPROVAL OF FINAL (IMPLEMENTATION READY) LARP 16 3. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL MONITORING OF LARP IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................................................16 4. PROGRESS OF LARP IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................17 4.1 LARP Implementation Preparatory stage ...............................................................................17 4.2 LARP Implementation phase .................................................................................................18 4.3 Summary of LARP Implementation for 1st subsection ............................................................21 4.4 Grievance Redress ................................................................................................................21 5. PLANNED WORKS FOR THE NEXT REPORTING PERIOD...............................................22 ANNEX 1. LARP IMPLEMENTATION SCHEME FOR 1ST SUBSECTION .......................................... 23 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Summary of T2 LARP Implementation 1. This is the 3rd Semiannual social monitoring report (SSMR) prepared for T2 LARP implementation, covering the period from July to December 2015. Before this monitoring report, 3 quarterly internal monitoring reports (IMR), as well as 2 SSMRs had been prepared and submitted to ADB on T2 LARP implementation: (i) 1st IMR covered the period of Oct 2012 to Jan 2013, (ii) 2nd IMR covered the period of Jan 2013 to March 2013 and (iii) 3rd covered the period of April 2013 to September 2013 and the 1st SSMR covered the whole period of T2 LARP implementation as of December 2014, the 2nd SSMR covered the period of T2 LARP implementation from July to December 2015. 2. The T2 LARP implementation was completed in 3 subsections. During the reporting period LARP implementation was completed in all 3 subsections besides the 9 continuing expropriation cases in the courts of law. For all 3 subsections compliance reports were prepared by IMA and approved by ADB. Permission was given to the Contractor to start construction in all 3 subsections on 26.03.2013 (the date of commencement for 1st subsection)1. Summary of T3 LARP Preparation 3. During the reporting period the T3 LARP preparation for Talin-Lanjik section was approved by RA GoA decree number 1196-N adopted on 17 September 20152 (the LARP was approved by ADB during the previous reporting period: June 23, 2015). 4. After the LARP approval by GoA the Implementation Consultant was hired and mobilized on December 1, 2015 and the LARP implementation was commenced and already completed in LARP 1st subsection (with initiation of expropriation cases). 1 The commencement date of construction works is ongoing dispute between the Contractor and Employer and is under discussion/decision in the dispute board. However, Employer is considering the June 10, 2013 as a start date of actual construction works. 2 http://northsouth.am/uploads/2_soc_i_r/1196-n.pdf 6 A. TRANCHE 2 (ASHTARAK -TALIN): LARP IMPLEMENTATION 1. PROJECT BACKGROUND 5. The Asian Development Bank (ADB)