Final article: Mobilizing the masses for success
The completion of the 500kV Circuit 3 power line project is a miracle; demonstrating the strength of intellect, innovation, creativity, and solidarity of Vietnam. This miracle was not only created by the hardships of thousands of cadres, engineers, and workers in the power industry, but also by the sacrifice of personal interests of each household and family along the power line's path. This miracle also bears the mark of effective public relations work, especially government-led public relations.
The mark of government's mass mobilization efforts.
At noon on July 27, 2024, upon receiving information about a dispute between contractors regarding delayed payment of construction costs for the following contracts: Construction of the foundation of pylons from VT17 to VT29 under package number 9; construction of the power line from VT17 to VT30 of the 500kV Quynh Luu - Thanh Hoa Power Line Project, Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, and Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province - personally went to the site to inspect and direct the handling of the issue.
Present at the locations of power poles VT17 in Quynh Thang commune, Quynh Luu district, and VT24 in Quynh Trang commune, Hoang Mai town – where some groups of people had displayed banners demanding payment from the main contractor of the project, posing a high risk of obstructing construction and delaying the project's progress – the Provincial Party Secretary directly listened to reports from representatives of the contractors and construction teams; the Central Power Projects Management Board; and leaders of the Party committees and governments of the two localities regarding the issues leading to the above incident.
The Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee requested that all relevant parties prioritize the overall situation and strive to resolve any obstacles promptly and satisfactorily to avoid affecting the project's progress. He also requested that contractors and the Project Management Board regularly coordinate and communicate with Party committees and authorities at all levels to ensure timely and effective handling of any arising issues.
The Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee resolutely requested that Party committees and local authorities coordinate closely, deploy forces and resources to provide maximum support to contractors in the construction of the project; ensure security and order in all aspects, especially to closely monitor information, obstacles, emerging issues, manifestations, and risks affecting the project implementation in order to resolve them promptly.
Immediately after the meeting led by Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy, the relevant parties reached an agreement and began working together to resolve the obstacles, thus ensuring that the construction progress was on schedule.
Also related to the implementation of the 500kV Circuit 3 power line project in Nghe An province, Provincial Party Secretary Thai Thanh Quy has made numerous inspection trips and worked with the Standing Committee, leaders of localities, and people in areas where the power line passes through. Through these visits, he conveyed the government's determination and decisive spirit to ensure this special project is completed on schedule.
The completion of the 500kV Circuit 3 power line project also reflects the close and highly unified coordination between the leaders of Nghe An province and the Vietnam Electricity Group; between the Party committees and authorities at all levels of the province and the investor and construction unit. Obstacles related to land clearance, public awareness campaigns, and mobilizing people's consensus were addressed by the political system of Nghe An province from the smallest details. In addition, the legitimate and practical needs, aspirations, and interests of the affected people were communicated to the electricity sector and relevant agencies by the Party committees and authorities at all levels. Therefore, the people felt satisfied and were willing to sacrifice personal interests for the sake of the nation's electricity supply.
Comrade Hoang Thi Mai Phuong, Deputy Head of the Dien Chau District Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department, said that before the project was implemented, the District Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department advised the Party Committee and the government to conduct mobilization and propaganda work. The 500kV circuit 3 power line passing through Dien Chau district is 22.6 km long; 114 households are affected by land acquisition, and 84 households are affected by the power line corridor.
According to the Deputy Head of the Dien Chau District Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department, the project's effective implementation and timely progress are due to the mobilization and propaganda efforts of the entire political system. Every official and employee has become a propagandist. In particular, the project's success bears the clear imprint of the government's mass mobilization work. Specifically, the District Party Committee's Standing Committee assigned a Deputy Chairman of the District People's Committee to serve as the Head of the Government's Mass Mobilization Steering Committee. For a locality with many key national projects like Dien Chau district, the regular task of the district-level Government's Mass Mobilization Steering Committee is to resolve and harmoniously handle conflicts and disagreements arising during project implementation; and to listen to the aspirations and needs of the people and convey them to the project owner and construction unit.
Besides playing a key and primary role in government-led public relations work, the Steering Committee is also the body directly proposing appropriate policies and mechanisms to the State to resolve difficulties and obstacles for people affected by the project.
Regarding the mobilization of people in Hoang Mai town to gain their consensus on the implementation of the 500kV power line project (circuit 3), Mr. Pham Van Hao, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoang Mai town, emphasized that from the very beginning of the project's planning, information was fully and promptly disseminated to every household. Each member of the Compensation and Land Clearance Council also acts as a public relations officer. The working motto of the land clearance task force and the Compensation and Land Clearance Council of the town is to work day and night, resolving any obstacles wherever they arise; the core principle is to explain, persuade, and encourage people to support the project. The legitimate aspirations of the people are responded to quickly and satisfactorily. More importantly, in relation to land clearance for key projects, the People's Committee of Hoang Mai town has commended and awarded Certificates of Merit to individuals and households. "We reward the people because they deserve to be honored and recognized," Mr. Pham Van Hao stressed.
Comrade Nguyen Thi Thom – Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Department of Nghe An Province – stated that the success of key national projects in general, and the 500kV Circuit 3 power line project in particular, demonstrates the will and strength of Vietnam, with the significant contribution of mass mobilization work. To effectively call for, publicize, and mobilize people to support the project, the mass mobilization departments and Fatherland Front in many localities have adopted creative approaches. These include fundraising through social media and digital communication channels. Mass mobilization departments at the district, commune, and village levels have established groups for public awareness campaigns on social media platforms. In some exceptional cases, a single family has received the participation and support of the Youth Union, Women's Union, Veterans' Association, and Farmers' Association… All efforts are directed towards the goal of ensuring the nation's electricity supply.
Mobilizing the masses to spread awareness.
The 500kV power line project passing through Nghe An province has also received attention from the Government, central ministries and agencies, as well as the sharing and support of localities and people in the areas where the project passes through. This can also be seen as a breakthrough in public relations work, creating a strong ripple effect in the community.
Specifically, since the beginning of June 2024, Vietnam Electricity Group has mobilized 1,500 skilled engineers and workers from 5 electricity corporations nationwide to support this key project. Nghe An province alone has received nearly 500 additional officials, engineers, and workers. In addition to providing transportation, accommodation, and meals for the 38 reinforced units, Nghe An Power Company has mobilized manpower and formed a rapid response team of nearly 30 people to participate in construction work on the sites.
At the same time, the Central Youth Union launched the "30-day, 30-night intensive volunteer campaign to overcome the sun and rain to support the 500kV power line project, circuit 3". In June, Youth Union organizations in the area simultaneously mobilized to coordinate with the power company and local authorities to clear land and cut down trees within the power line corridor.
In Quynh Trang commune, Hoang Mai town, more than 100 youth union members coordinated with task forces to dismantle houses and outbuildings belonging to four households located within the 500kV power line corridor. Following the "four on-site" principle and the viewpoint of "clear responsibilities, clear tasks, clear locations," the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union established 74 volunteer youth teams with 1,100 members to work alongside the power sector.
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The blue volunteer uniforms of young people have covered the entire area of 6 districts and towns – where the 500kV power line, circuit 3, Quang Trach – Pho Noi passes through. As of June 2024, volunteer teams have assisted in dismantling 24 out of 24 houses, 41 out of 41 livestock sheds and structures, and cleared and cut down more than 35 hectares and over 10,000 trees of various types affecting the corridor of the 500kV power line, circuit 3, and completed the handover of the work to EVN. The Nghe An Provincial Youth Union completed the campaign nearly a week ahead of the Regiment's initiative.
With the motto "Speed, even greater speed," the 500kV Quang Trach - Pho Noi circuit 3 power line project is entering its final phase. Following directives from the IV Military Region Command and Nghe An province, the Nghe An armed forces continue to be mobilized to support the project's construction. Nearly 500 officers, soldiers, regular troops, and militia members have been deployed in multiple shifts, promptly arriving at 150 locations in areas most isolated by hills and difficult terrain. They are participating in transporting materials, assisting with power line laying, and clearing and restoring the construction site.
Colonel Phan Dai Nghia, Commander of the Provincial Military Command, stated: "In some areas where it was impossible to deploy the power lines using technology, the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and the Command directed the forces to coordinate with the Vietnam Electricity Group to organize the laying of wires, transportation, and clearance of some land. All work has been completed, demonstrating the efforts of the officers and soldiers, and the close coordination of the forces to achieve the set goals and tasks in accordance with the Prime Minister's directives."
With such a large construction volume, the project should have taken at least 3 to 4 years to complete, while the government's urgent goal was to complete the project within 6 months. The project faced numerous difficulties, challenges, and obstacles, including adverse weather conditions, and many stages seemed impossible to complete.
The groundbreaking directives of the Prime Minister have led to impressive achievements in the implementation process. A large-scale project was completed in a record time. The 500kV Circuit 3 transmission line project was energized after more than 6 months of construction, thanks to the strong will and spirit of the entire political system. This will help reduce the load on and prevent overloading of the existing 500kV line and increase the transmission capacity from the current 2200MV to 500MV, corresponding to an additional 20 kWh of commercial electricity supplied to the North each year; contributing to relieving pressure on the power supply and meeting the economic development needs of the whole country, including Nghe An.
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This remarkable achievement is not only reflected in the numbers but, above all, offers many valuable lessons to be applied in the management and implementation of large-scale projects, and can be applied to subsequent projects, continuing the development of infrastructure to serve the socio-economic development of the country. Through this, we can see that nothing is impossible; when we want to do something, we are determined to work together, united in purpose, and provide maximum support for the common good, as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized.
