Reporter: Dear comrade, Nghe An is one of the localities that has made outstanding contributions in terms of manpower and resources in the resistance wars and national construction. At the same time, it is also a locality with a large number of martyrs, wounded soldiers, sick soldiers, and people with meritorious service to the revolution. This further enhances the indomitable patriotic tradition of the army and people of Nghe An. But for that reason, we must do a good job of repaying gratitude to ease the pain of the families of wounded soldiers and martyrs, and at the same time, educate the younger generation about the morality of drinking water and remembering the source, and eating fruit and remembering the person who planted the tree. Can you share more about this?
Comrade Doan Hong Vu:Throughout the glorious, indomitable revolutionary journey of the Vietnamese people, the land and people of Nghe An have made worthy contributions, writing the brilliant traditions of their homeland. The history of the nation has solemnly recorded a Nghe An "standing up first" to create the heroic Nghe Tinh Soviet, becoming the first general rehearsal contributing to the success of the August Revolution in 1945. An Nghe An as a great rear base, providing human and material resources with the spirit of "not a pound of rice missing, not a soldier missing", "not regretting not passing a car home", contributing with the whole country to create the great victories of our nation in the Ho Chi Minh era and fulfilling the noble international duty. An Nghe An on the front line of "fire coordinates" against the American imperialists destroying the North with heroic and tragic feats of arms, becoming a beautiful symbol of Vietnamese revolutionary heroism. Through the resistance wars, Nghe An has more than 45 thousand martyrs; More than 56 thousand wounded and sick soldiers, more than 20 thousand people participating in combat and serving in combat were infected with toxic chemicals; more than 2,800 heroic Vietnamese mothers, more than 500 thousand families and individuals were awarded Resistance Medals and Orders.
Promoting the steadfast revolutionary tradition, with the attention and support of the Party Central Committee, the Government, the National Assembly, the Central Ministries and branches, and the sharing and help of the people across the country, Nghe An has made great strides and achieved many important achievements in various fields, creating conditions for the province to prioritize resources to effectively implement social security issues, including gratitude work.
With deep gratitude, remembering the great contributions of the outstanding children who heroically sacrificed and devoted part of their blood and bones to the glorious cause of the nation, the Party Committee, the government and the people of Nghe An province always strive to repay the debt of gratitude with the awareness that caring for people with meritorious services is not only a duty, a morality, a responsibility but also an honor for all levels, sectors, political and social organizations and the people of the province. In recent times, the work of people with meritorious services to the revolution in the province has achieved many results; well implementing policies and regimes, and gratitude movements.
PV: So, sir, what specific action programs have we had in gratitude work?
Comrade Doan Hong Vu:First of all, the number of people with meritorious services in the province is large, but we have always done a good job of paying the State's preferential policies, fully, promptly, and to the right subjects. Currently, the province is paying regular subsidies to more than 67,000 subjects, with an amount of over 130 billion VND/month; one-time payments; nursing regimes for subjects are all fully implemented. In addition to the Central's policy, Nghe An province has issued Resolution No. 32/2020/NQ-HDND stipulating support policies for people with meritorious services to the revolution from poor households in the province for the period 2021-2025, to support and help the disadvantaged, the lonely elderly who are people with meritorious services from poor households; Resolution No. 30/2021/NQ-HDND supporting the third generation infected with toxic chemicals during the resistance war, has helped them have a better life.
Promoting the moral tradition of "remembering the source of water when drinking", the whole Nghe An province has carried out many meaningful and practical activities, actively mobilizing the construction of the Gratitude Fund with voluntary contributions with responsibility and affection from domestic and foreign agencies, organizations, businesses and individuals to join the State in taking care of people with meritorious services to the revolution in the spirit of Decree No. 45/2006/ND-CP dated April 28, 2006 of the Government. From the results of mobilizing the construction of the Gratitude Fund with the first 6 months of 2023 reaching 5.2 billion VND, contributing to supporting the renovation of cemeteries, memorials, building stele houses with the names of martyrs, building and repairing houses; visiting people with meritorious services to the revolution or relatives when they are sick, examining and treating diseases and when they pass away while the family is in especially difficult circumstances...
Movements and campaigns to mobilize the entire population to participate in supporting the construction of the "Gratitude Fund"; to support, sponsor, and care for Vietnamese heroic mothers, seriously wounded and sick soldiers, and lonely martyrs' parents; to help and create conditions for people with meritorious services and policy families to develop the economy, eliminate hunger, and reduce poverty... have been actively implemented and widely spread throughout the province, becoming a cultural beauty of the people of Nghe An.
PV: Up to now, there are still people who participated in the resistance war and were injured due to lack of paperwork and procedures but have not yet received benefits. What guidance and recommendations do we need to have to promptly support these people to access the State's preferential policies?
Comrade Doan Hong Vu:76 years have passed since President Ho Chi Minh signed Decree No. 20/SL “Regulations on pensions, disability and death benefits for war invalids” – the first legal document affirming the important position of the work of war invalids and martyrs. Over the past time, the Party and the State have had policies and documents regulating preferential regimes, many of which have been increasingly improved. In addition, many political organizations, units and localities have joined hands to care for and carry out well the work of caring for people with revolutionary contributions. And that journey has achieved many important achievements. However, for many reasons; many cases were lost, there were no documents proving their participation in the resistance war, whether they were injured or not... so the regime has not been resolved. Somewhere there are still many cases that have not been honored as worthy of their sacrifice. The war has ended, but the problems and backlogs are still a concern that policy makers are always looking for solutions to overcome difficulties. Meanwhile, the confirmation and appraisal of war invalids and martyrs' records are increasingly stricter. According to Decree 131/2021/ND-CP of the Government, the policy is more open to the subjects but the regulations are also more standardized. We always keep in mind that those who have truly contributed and sacrificed for the country must be considered and confirmed to enjoy preferential treatment from the State.
Therefore, in the coming time, we need to strengthen closer coordination with relevant agencies and related organizations and individuals to collect documents and records according to requirements and regulations; at the same time, propose to competent authorities to consider amending and supplementing them to suit the reality. Continue to promote the results achieved in confirming backlogged records in the recent past, ensuring strictness, reasonability and empathy so that people with meritorious services and their families can fully enjoy preferential policies of the Party and State and aim to ensure the living standards of people with meritorious services to the revolution are equal to or higher than the average level of the residential community; Request agencies, localities and organizations to continue to coordinate closely, proactively grasp information from people, witnesses, apply technology and science to serve the search, collection and verification of information on martyrs' remains; Strengthen propaganda work on policies for people with meritorious services to the revolution, continue to mobilize all resources to join hands in implementing gratitude work. Further strengthen monitoring and inspection activities on the implementation of policies and laws, contributing to the correct, complete, effective and timely implementation of preferential policies for people with meritorious services to the revolution.
PV: Thank you for this conversation!