The State Council has rejected almost 32 percent of the urban
construction applications for 2007 amid efforts to curb the growth
of energy-intensive, polluting industries.
The rejections covered 31.81 percent of the land area filed for
approvals by cities nationwide this year, the Ministry of Land and
Resources said on Wednesday. It did not give any further
breakdown.
The ministry said that of projects approved, 39.14 percent of
the land involved was for housing, 24.56 percent for
infrastructure, 18.23 percent for public buildings and 17.34 for
industrial facilities such as factories and warehouses.
It urged local authorities to compensate farmers in a timely
manner and ?maintain their living standards at levels no lower
than before any land acquisition.
It also called on local governments to rein in land approvals
for any projects involving polluting, energy-intensive and
resources industries.
The rejection of such applications has slowed the decline in
farmlands, which have been shrinking in many regions due to
urbanization.
Approvals for cities' use of farmland declined 17.13 percent
from 2006, the ministry added.
(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2007)
