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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1982
LAND MATTERS WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE HUMAN TOUCH
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TSUEN WAN TOWN MANAGER, DR JAMES HAYES, TODAY (SATURDAY) ASSURED RURAL LEADERS THAT LAND ADMINISTRATION WOULD STILL BE CONDUCTED WITH A HUMAN TOUCH' AFTER THE SETTING UP OF THE LANDS DEPARTMENT.
+YOUR SPECIAL INTERESTS AS LANDOWNERS AND VILLAGERS AFFECTED BY DEVELOPMENT ARE FULLY RECOGNISED AND THEY WILL REMAIN LEGITIMATE OBJECTS FOR SPECIAL CONSIDERATION BY THE ADMINISTRATION AS A WHOLE, + HE ADDED.
DR HAYES WAS SPEAKING AT AN ANNUAL LUNAR NEW YEAR GATHERING OF THE THREE RURAL COMMITTEES IN TSUEN WAN.
HE SAID THE RE-ORGANISATION MIGHT HAVE GIVEN RISE TO FEARS THAT RURAL RIGHTS WOULD NOT BE AS WELL RESPECTED, AND THAT VARYING LOCAL SITUATIONS AND HUMAN FACTORS MIGHT NOT BE TAKEN SUFFICIENTLY INTO ACCOUNT. HOWEVER, HE DID NOT BELIEVE THIS WOULD BE THE CASE.
HE ADVISED RURAL LEADERS NOT TO REACT TOO STRONGLY OR TOO QUICKLY TO THE NEW SITUATION, OR BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THINGS TO GO WRONG. INSTEAD, HE SAID, THEY SHOULD APPROACH ANY PROBLEMS IN A CONSTRUCTIVE MANNER.
+TAKE YOUR PROBLEMS TO THE DEPARTMENT, KEEPING THE DISTRICT OFFICERS IN THE PICTURE. THEREBY WE CAN ENSURE THAT LAND MATTERS WILL BE TACKLED IN A WAY THAT SUITS LOCAL NEEDS, AND THAT THE 'HUMAN TOUCH' WILL NOT BE LOST, HE SAID.
+ IF THIS IS DONE, COMPLICATED SITUATIONS IN WHICH THERE IS OFTEN A CONFLICT BETWEEN QUITE LEGITIMATE INTERESTS ON EACH SIDE WILL CONTINUE TO BE HANDLED SUCCESSFULLY, HE ADDED.
DR HAYES ALSO EXPLAINED THE REASONS FOR A CHANGE IN LAND ADMINISTRATION,
+THERE IS A NEED FOR GREATER CO-ORDINATION OF LAND WORK IN THE URBAN AREA AND THE NEW TERRITORIES AT POLICY-MAKING LEVEL, AND IN THE DIRECTION OF LAND WORK AS A WHOLE.
+THERE WILL BE MORE DE-CENTRALISATION AND DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY, AND THIS IS EXPECTED TO FACILITATE DAILY WORK IN THE DISTRICTS, HE SAID.
HE SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE TRANSITION WOULD BE SMOOTH AND SUCCESSFUL IF ALL PARTIES CONCERNED COULD KEEP COMMUNICATIONS OPEN.
MORE THAN 100 GUESTS AND MEMBERS OF TSUEN WAN, MA WAN AND TSING YI RURAL COMMITTEES ATTENDED THE GATHERING.
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