Do not rush into merging blocks, hamlets, and villages.

On the afternoon of June 21, the Legal Committee of the Provincial People's Council organized the examination of the draft resolution on merging and renaming hamlets, blocks, and villages in communes, wards, and towns in a number of districts and towns in the province.

Comrade Phan Duc Dong - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Secretary of the Vinh City Party Committee, Head of the Legal Committee of the Provincial People's Council chaired the inspection. Attending were comrades: Nguyen Xuan Son - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Cao Thi Hien - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council. Photo: Mai Hoa

The whole province reduced 1,609 blocks, hamlets and villages.

According to the report of the Department of Home Affairs, the implementation of the policy of merging blocks, hamlets and villages has had 14/21 districts, cities and towns complete the process steps, from collecting consensus from the people, opinions of People's Council delegates at the commune level to issue resolutions and on that basis, district-level units synthesize and send to the Department of Home Affairs for appraisal, report to the Provincial People's Committee for comments before submitting to the Provincial People's Council.

Accordingly, 3,015/4,050 hamlets and villages will be merged in phase I; of which 1,289 hamlets will meet 50% of the area criteria and 1,726 hamlets will meet less than 50% of the number of households as prescribed.

The number of hamlets and villages formed after the merger is 1,406, of which 876 hamlets meet 100% of the criteria; 522 hamlets meet over 50% of the criteria; 8 hamlets meet less than 50% of the criteria. This means that after the merger, 14 districts and towns will reduce 1,609 hamlets and the total number of hamlets and villages remaining in the province after the merger is 2,441 hamlets.

Director of the Department of Home Affairs Dau Van Thanh explains a number of issues raised by members of the Legal Committee. Photo: Mai Hoa

During the review, in high agreement with the draft Resolution on merging and renaming hamlets, blocks and villages in 14 districts and towns submitted to the Provincial People's Council, the leaders of the Provincial People's Council Standing Committee and some members of the Provincial People's Council Legal Committee also raised some concerns and requested the draft drafting agency, the Department of Home Affairs, to clarify why after the merger, there were still 8 hamlets with less than 50% of households according to the prescribed criteria?

Or some hamlets have not yet received more than 50% of the people's or household representatives' consent to the merger but still submitted it to the Provincial People's Council for decision at this session?

No rush in merging blocks and hamlets

Giving his opinion at the review, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Xuan Son affirmed that merging blocks, hamlets and villages is a difficult task, requiring close direction and creating high consensus in the organization and implementation, especially the consensus of the people.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Xuan Son emphasized that the merger of blocks, hamlets and villages needs to be carried out carefully, firmly, and in accordance with procedures, creating high consensus among the people. Photo: Mai Hoa

Therefore, the Department of Home Affairs needs to coordinate with localities to review the process of collecting public opinions. Where there is a high consensus rate, the merger should be carried out. Where there is not enough consensus, there is no need to rush but continue to propagate and mobilize.

In parallel with the merger, the Department of Home Affairs needs to coordinate with provincial departments and branches to direct and guide localities to reorganize Party cells and executive committees of blocks and hamlets after the merger as well as to resolve policies and regimes for non-professional workers in blocks and hamlets. In particular, it is necessary to ensure the rights of people related to amending related documents.

To ensure caution, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Council also requested the Department of Home Affairs to proactively seek direction and guidance from the Ministry of Home Affairs on any remaining issues in the implementation process.

Party cell secretary of hamlet 14, Nghi Lien commune, propagates and mobilizes people to expand effective agricultural economic models. Photo: Mai Hoa

Concluding this content, Head of the Provincial People's Council's Legal Committee Phan Duc Dong agreed to submit the draft resolution on merging and renaming hamlets, blocks, and villages to the Provincial People's Council at the upcoming 9th session. However, the Department of Home Affairs needs to coordinate with localities to review the steps and procedures to ensure strictness, compliance with regulations, and high consensus on the merger policy.

Along with that is to strengthen propaganda and mobilize people to continue supporting the merger policy; resolve issues related to facilities, policies for staff and ensure people's rights.

The Head of the Provincial People's Council's Legal Committee also requested the Department of Home Affairs to accept and have a written explanation of all the opinions raised by the members of the Legal Committee during the review, and at the same time complete the submission and draft resolution before submitting it to the meeting.

Also this afternoon, the Provincial People's Council's Legal Committee reviewed the draft resolution on a number of policies and measures to build the commune police force in the province; and the draft resolution stipulating the level of expenditure for training and fostering cadres, civil servants and public employees of the province.