New drivers of development in suburban communes.

(Baonghean) - Building on 60 years of tradition in construction and development, the Party Committee and people of Nghi Duc commune are striving to utilize the advantages of their suburban location, with the diligence and creativity of the people, and mobilizing resources to achieve rapid and comprehensive development.

Sixty years ago, on June 16, 1954, Nghi Duc commune was separated from Xuan Loc commune, Nghi Loc district. This was a significant milestone for the local Party committee and people, giving birth to the name Nghi Duc commune. From then on, Nghi Duc commune became a new place name on the administrative map of Nghe An province. Throughout the years since its establishment, and even before it belonged to Xuan Loc commune, the people of Nghi Duc commune have maintained a strong tradition of patriotism and love for their homeland: heroic, indomitable, courageous, and resilient in the struggles against foreign invaders, as well as in the spirit of building a prosperous and strong homeland during the period of reform.

That precious tradition has been proven by its rich history since May 7, 1930, when, under the leadership of the Nghi Loc District Party Committee, the An Hau Party Branch was initially established with 9 members, with Comrade Pham Duy Thanh as the branch secretary. Despite its early establishment, the branch led the people in the revolutionary struggle, contributing alongside the army and people nationwide to win independence and freedom for the nation. In the cause of national liberation, contributing manpower and resources, Nghi Duc has had hundreds of outstanding sons and daughters who volunteered to participate in the battlefields against foreign invaders, and many did not return. Many returned with their bodies no longer intact, and many are suffering from incurable diseases due to the lasting effects of Agent Orange. The Party and State have recognized the contributions of Nghi Duc commune, which has 77 martyrs, nearly 200 wounded and sick soldiers, 1 Vietnamese Heroic Mother, and is currently preparing dossiers to posthumously award 6 more Vietnamese Heroic Mothers... and has been awarded more than a thousand medals and decorations of various kinds, and nearly 500 certificates of merit for collectives and individuals who have achieved success in the struggle for national liberation.

Building upon a glorious tradition of unity in combat, for over half a century, from the time Nghi Duc commune was named until now, the cadres and people of both Catholic and non-Catholic faiths in the commune have always preserved and built the strength of national unity, competing in labor and production, creating much material wealth for society. This is clearly demonstrated in Nghi Duc today; everyone can feel the rapid and quite comprehensive changes. From a poor and backward rural area in the past, now asphalt and concrete roads extend to every alley and hamlet, public lighting systems have been invested in and built, illuminating the area, and urbanization is progressing rapidly along the main roads; essential infrastructure projects such as schools, health stations, and cultural centers are prioritized for investment towards meeting standards; and people's houses are built spaciously with modern and civilized living amenities. Under the leadership of the Party Committee and the administration of the People's Committee of the commune, the economic growth rate in the past three years has consistently been high, averaging 14% per year. The economic structure has shifted in the right direction, reducing the proportion of agriculture and increasing the proportion of small-scale industries and services. Many effective economic models have been introduced into production, demonstrating the leadership of the local Party committee and government in the successful and effective transformation of the economic structure.

The industrial chicken farming model of war veteran Pham Dinh Thao, Xuan Trung hamlet. Photo: Huu Nghia

That is, leveraging the potential and advantages of a suburban commune, Nghi Duc has converted over 80% of its rice-growing area to summer-autumn rice cultivation using new, high-yield, and high-quality varieties. It has developed concentrated cattle and breeding farms, with a total livestock population of 1,800 head and over 64,000 poultry, generating over 13 billion VND in annual income from livestock farming. Along with promoting transformation in agricultural production, in recent years, Nghi Duc has made breakthroughs in developing industries, services, and small-scale trade, especially in bringing local products to the city market and surrounding areas. As a result, the commune creates 300 to 350 new jobs annually, with average per capita income reaching over 20 million VND/year by the end of 2013. The percentage of well-off and wealthy households in the commune accounts for over 45%, while the poverty rate remains at 2.2%.

Alongside economic development, urban planning, land management, infrastructure construction, and environmental protection in Nghi Duc commune have seen increasingly positive changes. In just the past three years, the commune has mobilized over 30 billion VND to invest in key projects serving the people and promoting economic development. Focusing on the implementation of the National Target Program for New Rural Development, after three years of implementation, the commune has gone from meeting only 3 criteria to achieving 11 out of 19 criteria. Five out of twelve hamlets have been recognized as Cultural Villages, including one at the provincial level; the percentage of culturally exemplary families is over 90%; and all agencies and schools have achieved the title of Cultural Unit.

Nghi Duc Kindergarten, which received an investment of nearly 9 billion VND, has recently been put into operation. Photo: Sy Minh

The primary school has achieved National Standard Level I, and the commune has achieved National Standard in Health. Thanks to the attention and investment in the school system and the improvement of teaching and learning quality, significant results have been achieved in this area: From 2010 to 2013, there were 3 national-level outstanding students, 12 provincial-level outstanding students, and 59 city-level outstanding students; 247 students were admitted to universities and colleges. Despite the unique geographical location with both Buddhist and Catholic communities, Buddhists and Catholics have always been united, faithfully implementing the Party's policies and the State's laws, living "a good life and a beautiful faith," upholding "Buddhism, nation, and socialism," and making many positive contributions to local movements throughout the past 60 years. In early 2014, An Hau Pagoda was recognized as a provincial-level historical and cultural relic by the Provincial People's Committee.

Party building work has received attention, with the Party Committee and government of Nghi Duc commune always focusing on personnel work, rejuvenating the workforce, and creating conditions for cadres to receive training and professional development to meet new task requirements. In particular, the Party Committee has linked the implementation of Directive 03 of the Politburo on continuing to promote the study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's moral example with the implementation of Resolution 4 of the Central Committee and the local political tasks. As a result, each movement and each assigned task, down to the Party Committee, Executive Committee, and cadres and Party members, has yielded high effectiveness, contributing to the building of a strong Party, government, Fatherland Front, and other socio-political organizations.

Looking back on 60 years of development and growth, the Party Committee, government, and people of Nghi Duc can be proud of the achievements, but we are also truly concerned about the existing limitations that need to be addressed, namely: unsustainable economic development; ineffective utilization of potentials and advantages, and inefficient mobilization of investment resources; failure to achieve some targets in building a cultural life and a civilized urban lifestyle; limitations in urban management; and the slow to overcome the mentality of dependence and reliance among some officials, Party members, and the people... This glorious and proud tradition must become a new driving force to quickly overcome limitations and weaknesses, striving to soon make the commune a relatively prosperous unit of the city. To achieve this, it is necessary to focus on implementing a number of key tasks and solutions, namely: Maximizing all resources, promoting economic development towards increasing services, trade, industry, and construction, and reducing the proportion of agriculture; Creating the best conditions for programs and projects in the area to be implemented on schedule and effectively, contributing positively to accelerating the urbanization rate; improving the quality of life for the people, implementing a "civilized urban" lifestyle; continuing to focus on Party building and consolidating a strong political system to meet the requirements of new tasks...

It can be said that the 60-year tradition of development will be a source of resources, creating new motivation and confidence for the Party Committee and the government of Nghi Duc commune to continue leading the people in successfully carrying out socio-economic development tasks, striving to achieve the goal of soon making the commune a prosperous, comprehensively developed unit, and quickly integrating with the general movement of Vinh City.

Nguyen Hong Vy(Party Committee Secretary - Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghi Duc Commune)