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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1980
A NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION SPOKESMAN SAID THE MAJORITY OF FAMILIES LIVING IN THE AREA TO BE CLEARED HAD ALREADY MOVED INTO PUBLIC OR TEMPORARY HOUSING AND THE REMAINDER WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING SO.
HE SAID THE OCCUPANTS WERE FIRST TOLD OF THE CLEARANCE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, SINCE THEN STAFF OF TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OFFICE HAD MAINTAINED CLOSE CONTACT WITH THEM TO ENSURE SMOOTH REMOVAL TO HOUSING DEPARTMENT ACCOMMODATION,
MOST OF THE INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS HAD ALSO MOVED.
ELIGIBLE FACTORY AND SHOP OPERATORS LOCATED ON PRIVATE BUILDING LAND HAD RECEIVED STATUTORY COMPENSATION, WHILE THOSE NOT ELIGIBLE HAD BEEN PAID EX-GRATIA ALLOWANCES TO HELP THEM WITH THE COST OF REMOVAL.
FACTORY OPERATORS WHOSE TRADES COULD BE ADMITTED INTO A GOVERNMENT FACTORY HAD BEEN OFFERED SPACE IN THE KWAI ON GOVERNMENT FLATTED FACTORY AND ALL BUT TWO HAD ACCEPTED.
+DISCUSSIONS ARE STILL TAKING PLACE DAILY WITH THESE REMAINING TWO OPERATORS AND WE HOPE THEY WILL VACATE THEIR PREMISES BEFORE MONDAY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
ONE HAD INSISTED ON SPACE ON A LOWER FLOOR OF THE KWAI ON FACTORY, BUT ALL THE UNITS HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN UP. HE HAD BEEN OFFERED A UNET ON THE EIGHTH FLOOR OF THE 14-STOREY BUILDING AND IT WAS HOPED HE WOULD ACCEPT.
THE OTHER HAD INSISTED ON INCREASED COMPENSATION FOR HIS SECOND FACTORY, BUT THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT COMPENSATION LEVELS HAD BEEN ASSESSED BY AN EXPERIENCED ESTATE SURVEYOR AND ACCEPTED BY ALL THE OTHER OPERATORS.
+IT WOULD BE GROSSLY UNFAIR TO THESE OTHER OPERATORS IF AN EXCEPTION WAS MADE IN THIS CASE AND THERE IS NO INTENTION OF DOING SO, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
+WE HOPE THESE TWO REMAINING OPERATORS WILL ACCEPT THE FAIRNESS OF GOVERNMENT'S OFFER AS EVERYBODY ELSE HAS DONE AND VACATE BEFORE THE CLEARANCE BEGINS, HE SAID.
CLEARANCE HAD BEEN POSTPONED PREVIOUSLY, BUT THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF FURTHER POSTPONEMENT BECAUSE WORK ON DEVELOPING THE SITE FOR A VITAL PUBLIC FACILITY COULD NOT BE HELD UP ANY LONGER.
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