Working together to build a new rural area.

(Baonghean) - In recent times, the movement to build new rural areas has been widely implemented by the Fatherland Front of Yen Thanh district and has received enthusiastic support from the people. The movement has contributed to building cultural life, developing the economy, and building an increasingly strong and stable political system.

Visiting Hau Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district) in late May, when the villagers were busily completing the 2014 spring rice harvest, we stopped by the family of Mr. Nguyen Khac Trinh – the head of the Trung neighborhood group in Dong Phu hamlet – just as he and his wife were preparing the land for the new season. Pouring us a cup of rich, golden green tea, Mr. Trinh couldn't hide his joy: “This year we had a good harvest. My family has 5 sao (approximately 0.5 hectares) and we harvested 1.5 tons of rice. Thanks to the commune's policy of consolidating land plots according to the new rural development criteria and introducing full mechanization into the fields, we only needed 30 minutes using a combine harvester to finish threshing 5 sao of rice. Also, thanks to the mobilization of the people and the government's support with cement, the rural roads in Dong Phu hamlet have been concreted according to the new rural development standards. Responding to the campaign of the Fatherland Front and the commune, my family contributed an additional 1 million dong to the concrete road construction, in addition to the 1 million dong we contributed as stipulated by the hamlet.”

Officials from the Yen Thanh District Front Committee and Hau Thanh Commune discussed the progress of new rural development with the neighborhood group in Dong Phu hamlet.

Speaking about mobilizing the people's efforts to build village roads and alleys according to the new rural development criteria, Mr. Nguyen Viet Phuong – Secretary and Head of the Fatherland Front Committee – happily stated: "Previously, the village roads and alleys in Dong Phu were very muddy, especially during the harvest season, significantly affecting the progress of work, not to mention the difficulties in daily life and travel for the people. Before the Party and State's policy on new rural development, the people of Dong Phu responded to the rural road construction movement, determined to contribute labor and resources to build concrete roads to all hamlets and households. Especially after the new rural development policy was introduced, the hamlet organized many meetings, with the Fatherland Front playing a core role, openly and democratically discussing matters so that the people could participate. Once a high level of consensus was reached, everything proceeded smoothly." In a short period of time, the hamlet raised 200 million VND (each household contributed 1 million VND) plus an additional 35 million VND voluntarily donated by other households (some households contributed as little as 500,000 VND, others as much as 5 million VND, such as the households of Mr. Mai Huy Hung and Mr. Le Dinh Lam...).

After more than two months of construction, the nearly 6-kilometer-long road in Dong Phu hamlet, built to new rural standards (3 meters wide and 20 centimeters thick), has been completed, much to the delight of the local people. This is the first hamlet in Hau Thanh commune to meet the rural transportation criteria according to the new rural standards.

In a conversation with Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai, Chairwoman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Hau Thanh commune, it was learned that: As a purely agricultural commune, Hau Thanh has identified road construction, land consolidation, and the introduction of mechanization into the fields as top priorities in implementing the criteria for building new rural areas. However, to successfully achieve the set goals and tasks, along with the commune's Party Committee and government, the Fatherland Front and its member organizations have determined that leveraging internal resources and building a strong national unity plays a crucial role. If done well, it will create tremendous motivation, both materially and spiritually, to bring the program to completion on time. Based on this principle, the Fatherland Front Committee of the commune, in coordination with the government, departments, and mass organizations in the commune, has intensified its mobilization and propaganda efforts to all levels of the population through various rich and flexible forms such as organizing conferences and broadcasting information through the public address system; Integrating the content of building new rural areas into festivals, cultural and artistic activities, sports activities, activities of member organizations, as well as through the "National Unity Day in residential areas".

This approach has helped all segments of the population better understand the policies, viewpoints, objectives, meaning, and importance of the emulation movement to jointly build new rural areas. Through propaganda, mobilization, and concrete actions of the Fatherland Front, including the exemplary and pioneering role of cadres, Party members, Youth Union members, and association members, there has been a transformation in the awareness and actions of each family and each citizen. The movement to expand inter-village and inter-hamlet roads, and branch roads into residential clusters, has received active support from the people. To date, the rural transportation system in the commune has been basically expanded and upgraded. Most of the roads within the commune and in the fields have been paved, better meeting the needs of production, daily life, trade, and travel of the people, and the socio-economic development goals of the locality.

Mr. Tran Van Hung – Standing Vice Chairman of the District Fatherland Front Committee – affirmed: The Fatherland Front at all levels has focused on disseminating information about the purpose and significance of the new rural development movement, selecting 13 out of 19 criteria for direct participation and coordination in propaganda and mobilization, resulting in thousands of households voluntarily donating over 33,000 square meters of land for rural road construction. By the end of 2013, 32 communes had achieved 13 or more criteria, with one commune (Son Thanh) leading the entire province in new rural development. Infrastructure such as electricity, roads, schools, and health stations continue to be upgraded and expanded, the face of the countryside is increasingly improving, and people's lives are gradually improving. Many welfare facilities have been invested in and built more solidly and attractively. To date, 1,033 construction projects have been started with a total investment of 4,225 billion VND, of which the people contributed 12.7%, notably in communes such as Son Thanh, Dong Thanh, Phuc Thanh, Hop Thanh, Long Thanh, Do Thanh…

Through specific and practical action programs, the Fatherland Front at all levels in the district has played, is playing, and will continue to play an important role in mobilizing the people to "join hands in building new rural areas," contributing to the comprehensive and sustainable development of the socio-economic sector.

Thanh Thuy