"Effective mass mobilization" - harnessing the people's strength to build new rural areas in Quynh Tan.

(Baonghean)Quynh Luu District has decisively directed localities to implement the 19 criteria for building new rural areas. However, the criterion regarding rural transportation in some localities has encountered considerable difficulties. With an innovative approach, the mountainous commune of Quynh Tan has received high consensus from the people, with dozens of households voluntarily donating land to open roads for the construction of new rural areas.

In Hamlet 8, Quynh Tan mountainous commune, Quynh Luu district, these days the atmosphere of urgent labor among the people (dismantling auxiliary structures, boundary walls, kitchens, and toilets) to donate land for road construction is evident everywhere. As the first Party branch selected by the commune to implement the plan for building internal hamlet transportation infrastructure according to the New Rural Area criteria, 100% of households in the hamlet unanimously agreed.

Forty households affected by the project voluntarily dismantled nearly 1,500 meters of boundary walls, cleared nearly 1,000 auxiliary structures and houses, and 240 square meters of residential and agricultural land to expand 2 kilometers of village roads to meet the standards of new rural roads. Quynh Tan successfully applied the "skillful people mobilization" model in leadership and guidance, gaining high consensus from the people, mobilizing the participation of self-governing groups and organizations, creating a vibrant, voluntary, and enthusiastic labor emulation movement among all the people. Mr. Le Van Linh from Hamlet 8, Quynh Tan commune, shared: "My family had a large area of ​​boundary walls and structures, but we voluntarily donated them to widen the road. The donated land was 1.5 meters from the road surface, 30 meters of boundary walls, and 10 meters of auxiliary structures."



The people of Hamlet 8, Quynh Tan Commune, are dismantling structures to make way for the construction of new rural roads.

Quynh Tan is a mountainous commune located more than 10 km from the center of Quynh Luu district. Its infrastructure is limited, and the lives of its people are still more difficult compared to other communes. Therefore, at the beginning of implementing the National Target Program for New Rural Development, Quynh Tan commune faced many obstacles. Mobilizing people to contribute labor and money to build social welfare facilities and transportation and irrigation systems would not be effective without the right approach. Following the principle of "gradual persuasion," cadres and Party members of the Party branch in Hamlet 8 worked tirelessly day and night, going to each household to explain the importance of expanding roads according to the New Rural Development criteria.

The Party branch's approach is to have key leaders and exemplary Party members take the lead in voluntarily donating land to open roads, so that the people can follow suit. Mr. Dang Ngoc Danh, Chairman of the Veterans Association in Hamlet 8, happily said: "In response to the New Rural Development Program, I organized the branch's activities and was the first to speak up and launch the movement to donate land, labor, and resources for New Rural Development. As the first to speak up, I supported donating land, construction works, and embankments worth 37 million VND."

Quynh Tan commune's experience in mobilizing people to donate land and resources for rural development projects is based on lessons learned from previous communes. It's crucial to understand the people, always prioritize their role, and encourage their input. Therefore, instead of marking out construction sites like other communes, Quynh Tan established a steering committee to conduct surveys and mobilize people to donate land as needed. Simultaneously, they gathered necessary materials for building foundations, boundary walls, and barriers between houses and the road. This approach received strong support and agreement from the people, allowing the locality to complete the surveying process earlier than other communes while saving hundreds of millions of dong for the local budget.

Mr. Ho Minh Mau, Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Tan commune, said: "After consulting with several other communes, Quynh Tan has learned that when implementing the rural transportation criteria, we should not use boundary markers. Because, if we use them, it is estimated that it would cost around 300 million VND. Therefore, the People's Committee of the commune has directed the villages to proceed with land clearance and then build the foundations. After completing the two pilot villages, Village 5 and Village 8, the commune will direct the remaining 14 villages to continue dismantling structures to build rural transportation according to the New Rural Area standards. It is expected that from April 20th to June 30th, 2013, Quynh Tan will resolutely direct the completion of land clearance for rural transportation."

Drawing on experience from effective mass mobilization work under the decisive leadership of the Party Committee and government, the coordinated efforts of the Fatherland Front and other organizations, and the collective contributions of the people, Quynh Tan commune will soon complete the criteria for building rural roads according to the New Rural Area standard, contributing to the rapid transformation of the rural landscape of this still-difficult mountainous commune.

Nhu Thuy