Efforts to build sustainable criteria

(Baonghean) - In recent years, Thanh Chuong has built 9 communes that meet new rural standards, namely Thanh Linh, Thanh Duong, Thanh Giang, Thanh Dong, Thanh Van, Thanh Tien, Thanh Hung, Thanh Lien and Thanh Luong, and 12 communes that meet 15 criteria.

» Nghe An supports 100% of funding for communes planning to build new rural areas

Tea gardens help reduce poverty in Hanh Lam commune. Photo: Phuong Thuy

Overcoming difficulties

Before Tet, we returned to Hanh Lam - a commune that is striving to reach the new rural area goal in 2017. The cool green acacia forests are ready for harvest next to the young acacia gardens on both sides of Ho Chi Minh road, covered with plastic to prevent cold in order to prepare seeds for spring forest planting.

Chairman of Hanh Lam Commune People's Committee - Mr. Tran Dinh Son said: In 2016, the total production value of the commune reached 157.85 billion VND, an increase of 26.8% over the same period. Of which, agriculture, forestry and fishery reached 82.082 billion VND. The reason why forestry has achieved high value is because in the past year, the forest garden economy has developed very strongly, the economy of planting forests from paper raw materials has eliminated hunger, reduced poverty, and many households have become rich households.

People only need to sell 5-7 hectares of acacia to earn 500 million VND, while many households have up to 10 hectares, 20 hectares. The forest and farm economy is developing strongly, so in 2016 the commune planted an additional 100 hectares of forest. The commune also planted 132 hectares of cassava, 18 hectares of sugarcane and more than 20 hectares of new tea.

Discussing the achievements in building new rural areas, Chairman of the People's Committee Tran Dinh Son added: With the great efforts of the Party Committee and the people of the commune, Hanh Lam commune has now met 14/19 criteria, which are quite high criteria such as schools, income, housing, security and order. There are still some criteria that have not been met such as traffic, environment, cultural facilities. Of which, the total remaining kilometers of roads that need to meet standards (village roads, alleys...) is 14.78 km and the total amount of cement needed is 2,200 tons. Therefore, we hope to soon receive cement to concretize the sections of roads that have not met standards.

Meanwhile, the new rural construction movement in Thanh Tien commune is going into depth. As one of the first communes to reach the NTM finish line, Thanh Tien is proud that today the commune's infrastructure is spacious and decent, the traffic system and schools are solidified. In the commune, Venture Garment Factory is creating jobs for hundreds of workers.

The movements on new rural construction continue to be focused on and implemented by sectors and levels, with increasingly high efficiency and widespread influence among the people. Through the movement, many typical examples of donating land, property, and supporting money and construction works for new rural areas have appeared. The total investment cost for new rural construction is 106.55 billion VND. Of which, the provincial budget is 42.83 billion VND, accounting for 40.20%, enterprises support 28 billion VND, accounting for 26.28%, and mobilized from the people 24 billion VND, accounting for 22.52%.

The children far from home in Thanh Tien have contributed resources to build a rich and strong commune such as investing in stadiums, calling for factories to return, contributing money to build roads, building cultural houses... Up to now, the average income has reached 26.5 million VND/person/year.

Plating tray production in Thanh Lien commune (Thanh Chuong). Photo: Dinh Ha

Ensuring sustainability of criteria

Promoting the achievements in the new rural construction movement, Thanh Chuong is striving to bring the communes to the new rural finish line in 2017 and the following years in a sustainable manner, not chasing after achievements. Right from the beginning of the year, the District Steering Committee has strongly directed the communes to speed up the implementation of the contents and criteria that have not met the standards, and at the same time directed the relevant departments and members of the District Steering Committee to regularly follow the grassroots to guide, direct, and remove difficulties and obstacles in the implementation process. In 2017, Thanh Chuong district built the communes of Hanh Lam, Thanh Yen, Thanh Hoa, Thanh Khai, Thanh Tuong... to the new rural finish line, at the same time drawing experience and removing difficulties in the new rural debt in some communes.

Being a purely agricultural district, striving to achieve sustainable NTM standards in Thanh Chuong is quite difficult because crops and agricultural products depend on the weather. In addition, the transportation system still has many shortcomings when there are many dirt roads and degraded roads, people in many communes still depend on ferries to cross the river, and awareness of environmental sanitation is limited.

Therefore, for communes that have reached the NTM finish line, it is necessary to launch an emulation movement to improve the quality of criteria, improve the quality of people's material and spiritual life, and ensure sustainable achievement of criteria, especially life, income, culture, and rural environmental sanitation.

For communes in the roadmap for building new rural areas, continue to mobilize and integrate resources and contributions from organizations, individuals, people, and children working far away from home, combined with local budget sources and support from the state budget at higher levels to implement the program. Develop production, eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, participate in vocational training and vocational training; build life and cultural lifestyle of the community in residential areas.

Chrysanthemum gardens are harvested in time for sale during Tet in Thanh Linh commune (Photo: Phuong Thuy).

Mr. Tran Phi Hung - Head of the Department of Agriculture of Thanh Chuong district said: The Department will guide, direct and urge the pilot communes to conduct self-assessment of local implementation results, complete reports, documents and publicly post them to ensure compliance with the regulations in Circular 40/TT-BNNPTNT of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Participate with the grassroots to remove difficulties, build production development models, restore production and orient appropriate occupations and forms of production organization in rural agriculture, contributing to speeding up the progress of building new rural areas in the area.

Chau Lan