The Party Committee of a mountainous commune in Nghe An province set up a hotline to listen to the people.

Tho Hop Commune Party Secretary Ha Van Vinh (middle) discusses the work of building new rural areas. Photo: Thanh Duy

At 8:00 a.m. on April 26, 2018, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong in Tho Son hamlet, Tho Hop commune called the commune leader's hotline to report that a car had damaged the hamlet's drainage ditch and asked the commune to consider repairing it before the flood season.

Immediately after that, Tho Hop Commune Party Secretary Ha Van Vinh sent a notice to transfer the citizen's feedback to the Commune People's Committee to preside over and coordinate with relevant units, organizations and individuals to consider and resolve according to the provisions of law; notify the results and report to the Commune Party Secretary.

This is one of the regular tasks of comrade Ha Van Vinh since being transferred from the District Party Committee to become Secretary of the Party Committee of Tho Hop commune, Quy Hop district.

Accordingly, at the meeting on June 5, 2017, the Standing Committee of the Commune Party Committee agreed to establish a hotline headed by Comrade Ha Van Vinh - District Party Committee member, permanent Secretary of the Commune Party Committee, to receive information and operate continuously 24/7.

The purpose of this work is to strengthen the leadership of the Party Committee in administrative reform work; improve the responsibility, leadership, management and operation capacity of heads of agencies and units in the commune.

Following that, the Tho Hop Commune Party Committee announced the announcement of the hotline number of the Commune Party Committee Secretary to the district level, comrades in the Commune Party Executive Committee, the Standing Committee of the People's Council, the Standing Committee of the People's Committee, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and the commune's mass organizations, and affiliated Party cells...

The hotline number of the Party Secretary of the commune is publicly posted at the office, the commune hall and the cultural houses of the villages and hamlets so that people can know and reflect information, including contents related to administrative reform: acts of harassment, negativity, causing trouble by cadres, civil servants, and public employees in the performance of public duties. Or people can propose initiatives and solutions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of leadership, direction, and administration of the Party Committee and the government; solutions for socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in the area.

Secretary of the Party Committee of Tho Hop Commune, Quy Hop District, Ha Van Vinh

After more than 1 year of operation, the people of Tho Hop commune have become familiar with the hotline of the Party Secretary of the commune. Regardless of day or night, during or outside of office hours, when people have something to do, they call to report many issues and contents at the grassroots level such as: roads, illegal mining, working attitude of civil servants, to matters that the village and hamlet find difficult to resolve...

For example, at 7:37 a.m. on May 28, 2018, Ms. Ta Thi Hien (daughter of Ms. Ngo Thi Lan) in Thung Khang hamlet called the hotline to report the slow processing of citizen files because her family went to the commune to request confirmation of Ms. Ngo Thi Lan's marital status to apply for a bank loan, but the commune officials and civil servants in charge of the expertise were absent, and they went to see her many times (the third time on the morning of May 28, 2018), lasting for 2-3 weeks but still not resolved.

“When receiving a case, it is recorded in the feedback monitoring book. After that, there are cases that are under my authority to resolve that I can directly handle. There are cases where people call and request to meet directly, so I am willing to meet with the people to listen to their feedback. As for cases under the authority of the People's Committee, the Fatherland Front or the commune's mass organizations, there is a transfer form for the responsible leader to direct the professional staff to verify, handle and then report back to the Party Secretary,” said comrade Ha Van Vinh.

To make the hotline truly hot, to enhance the responsibility of the entire political system and to make the information reflection channel trusted by the people, the Party Committee has decided to issue a Procedure for receiving and processing information reflection and recommendations via the hotline.

In particular, it specifies the principles and focal points for receiving information; classification, handling, receiving and processing information, especially clearly defining the responsibilities of the Party Secretary of the commune, agencies, units, socio-political organizations at the commune level, and affiliated Party cells in the implementation process.

Monthly, 6-monthly, 1-yearly and when requested, the Party Secretary of the commune presides over and coordinates with relevant departments to summarize the situation and report to the Party Committee of the commune on the results of receiving and handling information from organizations and individuals reflecting and recommending through the hotline of the Party Secretary of the commune.

The hotline number of the Party Secretary of Tho Hop commune is publicly posted at the Tho Hop commune office. Photo: Thanh Duy

Discussing the effectiveness of the hotline, from the perspective of the head of the local Party Committee, Tho Hop Commune Party Secretary Ha Van Vinh shared that through information reflected by the people, many issues at the grassroots level have been grasped and promptly handled, so the number of complaints and denunciations has decreased significantly; at the same time, it has had the effect of improving the effectiveness of administrative procedure reform; the responsibility, attitude, working style, and behavior of cadres and civil servants towards the people; the comprehensive leadership and direction role of the Party Committee has been promoted.

I find the hotline convenient, timely feedback, resolving people's problems. My hamlet alone has resolved several issues regarding land, roads, etc. People have good public opinion after having the hotline of the Commune Party Secretary.

Mr. Tran Quang Ho - Secretary of Lien Tan Hamlet Party Cell, Tho Hop Commune

It can be said that the establishment, announcement and wide publicity of the hotline in Tho Hop commune with a methodical approach has brought practical results, the hotline is always active. This shows the receptive and listening attitude of the cadres in the commune political system, especially the leaders, towards the opinions of the people.

On the other hand, the people also have more channels to reflect information to the Party Committee, the government, the Fatherland Front and organizations. Through specific contents that have been resolved, or maybe there are still unresolved issues but there are exchanges and analysis by cadres, it has fostered and strengthened the people's trust in the Party Committee and local government, promoted the strength of solidarity, joined hands, and contributed to the common development cause.

The clearest proof is that Tho Hop, a relatively poor commune, is now in the process of being assessed to reach the new rural finish line.