FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 1980
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THE PUBLIC ENQUIRY CENTRES IN TSUEN WAN AND KWAI CHUNG REFERRED 28 OF THE CASES, WHILE THE OTHER THREE WERE REFERRED BY THE DISTRICT OFFICE, TSUEN WAN, THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICE, CENTRAL AND WESTERN, AND TSUEN WAN RURAL COMMITTEE.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID SOME DIFFICULTY WAS BEING CAUSED BY APPLICANTS GOING STRAIGHT TO THE CENTRE INSTEAD OF TO A PUBLIC ENQUIRY CENTRE TO MAKE APPOINTMENTS. HE SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH ON THE SPOT CASES BECAUSE THE LAWYERS' HANDS WERE ALREADY FULL WITH THOSE WHO HAD MADE APPOINTEMENTS BEFOREHAND. EIGHTEEN PEOPLE HAD SO FAR APPROACHED THE CENTRE WITHOUT HAVING MADE A PRIOR APPOINTMENT.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE LAWYERS WERE DEVOTING AN AVERAGE 30 MINUTES TO EACH CASE. HE SAID BECAUSE THE SCHEME WAS PROVING SO POPULAR IT WAS PROBABLE THAT ANOTHER LAWYER AND MORE BACK-UP STAFF WOULD NEED TO BE PROVIDED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
FACILITIES FOR POWER TRANSMISSION
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THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO ENABLE POWER COMPANIES TO SEEK CERTAIN RIGHTS TO FACILITATE THE ERECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF TRANSMISSION LINES.
THE ELECTRICITY NETWORKS (STATUTORY EASEMENTS) BILL, PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE TODAY, ALSO CONTAINS PROVISIONS TO SAFEGUARD THE INTERESTS OF LANDOWNERS AFFECTED BY SUCH TRANSMISSION LINES.
UPON THE CREATION OF A STATUTORY EASEMENT, LANDOWNERS AFFECTED WOULD HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT TO COMPENSATION FOR ANY REDUCTION IN THE DEVELOPMENT VALUE OF THE IR PROPERTY (AS RESTRICTED IN THE LEASE CONDITIONS) WHICH MAY OCCUR AS A RESULT OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUCH POWER TRANSMISSION LINES.
+THE BILL ALSO PROVIDES A PROCEDURE WHEREBY LANDOWNERS AFFECTED BY SUCH TRANSMISSION LINES MAY OBJECT TO THE METHOD AND TIMING OF WORKS WHICH A POWER COMPANY PROPOSES TO CARRY OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS RIGHTS GRANTED UNDER THE STATUTORY EASEMENT, SAID A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN,
HE EXPLAINED: +ARBITRATION BY THE LANDS TRIBUNAL WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE CASE OF DISPUTE BETWEEN THE POWER COMPANY AND AN INDIVIDUAL LANDOWNER ON THE AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION OFFERED BY THE COMPANY, +
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