(BEIJING, February 19) -- The owners of the demolished houses for the construction of the Olympic venues in Beijing have all been appropriately resettled, an official said on Tuesday.

Backgrounder: relocation project for Olympic venues

The demolition and relocation program proceeded seriously in conformity with laws and regulations of the central and local governments and the plans of the construction of the Olympic venues, the official of the Beijing Municipal Construction Commission told a press conference at the Beijing Olympic Media Center, with the attendance of more than 100 journalists from up to 60 Chinese and foreign media.

The affected households extended support and appreciation and the project was carried out smoothly. All households were relocated willingly after consultation and agreement, no one was compelled to relocate, he added.

The project involved 14,901 inhabitants of 6,037 households, including 10,355 inhabitants of 4,614 households at the Olympic Green, who account for 80 percent of the total. The rest of the affected people were scattered in Wukesong and other areas.

The households were compensated for their previous houses according to real estate market prices, and new houses close to their original living quarters were offered to them; resettlement allowances and social security funds were paid, the official said.