Join hands to build new countryside

(Baonghean) - Implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction (NTM) for the period 2011-2015, 100% of districts, cities and towns in the province have issued specialized resolutions and implementation plans, and issued new mechanisms and policies suitable to the actual situation of the localities. The NTM construction movement has had a positive impact on agricultural and rural development in Nghe An.

Opening traffic routes in Nghi Long commune (Nghi Loc). Photo: Khanh Ly

Move

Implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction (NTM) for the period 2011-2015, 100% of districts, cities and towns in the province have issued specialized resolutions and implementation plans, and issued new mechanisms and policies suitable to the actual situation of the localities. The NTM construction movement has had a positive impact on agricultural and rural development in Nghe An, creating trust among cadres and farmers in the Party's policy on agricultural and rural development. In extremely difficult conditions in terms of resources and policy mechanisms, but with the high determination of the entire Party, the entire people and the entire political system, after 3 years of implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction, it must be affirmed that this is a policy that is popular, so it has soon entered into life, received the people's approval and support, and the political system has taken part in a synchronous and drastic manner.

Localities have accelerated the implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Construction; the awareness of new rural construction among officials and people has changed positively. This is the greatest success, which is decisive for the speed and quality of the program. From being outsiders, through propaganda work and the results of the models, people have realized that new rural construction is the work of the entire people to serve their own lives. From there, every household and every locality competes to speed up the construction and implementation of the criteria. Many movements can be mentioned such as: donating land for rural roads, the movement to clean up the neighborhood, building good economic models, building model fields... From these movements, the face of Nghe An's countryside is changing day by day. People have enjoyed the fruits of their own labor, which has directly made them increasingly attached to the program. The program is gradually becoming a widespread movement throughout the province, mobilizing the entire political system from the province to the villages, receiving enthusiastic response from the people. A number of political and social organizations and business organizations have actively participated in promoting the implementation of specific contents of new rural construction in accordance with their tasks and functions.

Up to now, 100% of communes have completed planning and projects for new rural construction, built 375 models of production development to increase income for people and 16 large-scale fields. In the past 3 years, 12,427 billion VND has been mobilized; mobilized people to donate 4,393,220 m2 of land and 3,417,939 working days, built hundreds of works to serve people's lives and develop the economy. In particular, from the cement support program for rural roads, up to now, the whole province has deployed nearly 1,000 km, this is a breakthrough in rural infrastructure construction that is highly appreciated by the Central Government, contributing to improving the face of the province's countryside. Many communes have achieved 2-4 more typical criteria such as: Son Thanh, Phuc Thanh (Yen Thanh); Nghi Lien (Vinh City), Nghia Dong (Tan Ky), Nam Anh (Nam Dan), Nghi Thai (Nghi Loc); Thinh Son (Do Luong); Hung Tan (Hung Nguyen). Notably, Son Thanh is the first commune in the province to meet the new rural standards... These communes are becoming bright spots in building new rural areas with proactive, creative, and difficult-overcoming approaches.

Harvesting rice by machine on a large-scale field in Hung Nguyen. Photo: Sy Minh

And the psychology of waiting...

However, in addition to the achieved results, there are still some shortcomings. The awareness of some cadres and people about the Program is not complete and not really proactive. There is also a notion that building a new rural area is a state program, so there is a mentality of dependence; some places still focus on infrastructure, neglect production development, the progress of planning adjustment according to Circular 13/TT-LB is still slow because localities, especially leaders, do not grasp the potential, advantages of the locality, development trends to adjust the planning in a timely manner. In addition, the development of projects, especially production development projects, is still sketchy and perfunctory. Meanwhile, one of the core goals of the National Target Program on building a new rural area is to develop production to increase people's income. Only when people have high incomes will they have the conditions to contribute to building infrastructure and developing culture and society.

Mobilizing resources to implement the Program is facing difficulties in both mechanisms and policies, because our province has not been able to balance its budget, people's lives are still difficult, and every year it still depends on support from the Central Government. Meanwhile, the mechanism of deducting 70% of land fees and land use rights auction fees according to Decision 800/QD-TTg dated June 4, 2010 of the Prime Minister to build new rural areas, but the province has not implemented it because it has not been balanced. In addition, the mechanism of integrating, mobilizing resources, and investing in each item is not clear and specific, so some localities have conditions in terms of resources but still have the mindset of waiting and relying on support from the State budget, causing the results of program implementation to be limited.

Propaganda work on the National Target Program on New Rural Construction is still heavy on form, has not chosen appropriate and in-depth propaganda methods for the main target of rural residents, has not focused on the content, methods, ways of organizing and implementing the program, good models, good deeds, especially propaganda on the mass movement "Join hands to build New Rural Construction" widely throughout society, so it has not created a change in awareness, to clarify the position and role of the "subject" of the people, (including political and economic positions), the role of the political system, enterprises, and cooperatives in building New Rural Construction.

Awareness among cadres and party members is not unified, including the leadership, management and specialized teams in organizing and operating the program. The role of other departments and branches is "faded" in the work of leading, directing, coordinating and integrating target programs. Enterprises and businessmen are not interested in investing in agriculture and rural areas. The role of the people as subjects has not been specified in legal documents, mainly through representatives or depends on the management and working methods of the cadres in charge of the base.

Choose the breakthrough

The goal of the National Target Program on New Rural Construction is to “Continuously improve the material and spiritual life of the people, the motivation also comes from the people”. To achieve the above goal, it is necessary to do well the following contents:

Strengthening propaganda and mobilization work on the Party and State's policies and guidelines on organization, content, implementation methods, good practices, creativity, and breakthroughs from advanced models. Thereby, creating consensus in society, especially propagating the goals and resources, and current difficulties and obstacles of the program for people and local authorities to share. Continue to review and supplement the commune-level rural planning according to Circular 13/TT-LB, must clearly understand the potential and advantages of their locality, the development trend of society to adjust the population planning, land use planning, and infrastructure planning appropriately. In adjusting the planning, it is necessary to associate with land consolidation and plot exchange according to Resolution 08/NQ-TU of the Provincial Party Committee, based on the planning adjustment to establish projects and plans to effectively implement the program.

Promoting production development is considered the top priority and also the key task in the process of building a new countryside. To do this, from the people to the cadres, it is necessary to restructure production, promote the connection of "4 houses" in which the State must play the role of a midwife for farmers, bring scientific and technical advances, support interest rates, support infrastructure for production, and work with businesses to consume products for farmers... Localities need to direct and guide people and together with people stick to resolutions of the Party Committee, projects and plans to choose breakthroughs, both focusing on directing points and implementing on a large scale, choosing which criteria to implement first, which criteria to implement later in accordance with local reality, especially the people's strength. Experience in some localities is to choose criteria that do not require money, do not require money first, do from inside the house to the field or vice versa, there are localities such as Son Thanh; Nghia Dong; Nghia My; Hung Tan; Dien Thap… chose transportation as a breakthrough…

With a rich historical and cultural tradition, industrious and creative people, under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and the drastic participation of the entire political system from the province to the grassroots level, and the united efforts and response of the people, our province's countryside is increasingly prosperous, with a reasonable economic structure, suitable production relations, and developed socio-economic infrastructure, contributing to the completion of the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress.

Nguyen Ho Lam(Deputy Head of Office for Coordination of New Rural Construction)