Focus on the 2017 finish line communes

(Baonghean) - In 2017, Nghe An strives to have 20 more communes meeting new rural standards (NTM). Right from the beginning of the year, the Steering Committee of the National Target Program on New Rural Construction of the province has directed departments, branches and People's Committees of districts and towns to concentrate resources and promptly remove difficulties and obstacles at the grassroots level.

Complete each criterion

Road construction in Tien Ky - Tan Ky. Photo: Xuan Hoang

As one of the two communes of Hung Nguyen district registered to reach the NTM target in 2017, Hung My commune was supported by the Provincial People's Committee with 1,050 tons of cement to build rural roads. Up to this point, the commune has received all the cement, transferred it to the hamlets, and people have actively donated land, contributed working days, sand and gravel to strive to complete the traffic criteria in June. Along with completing the traffic criteria, Hung My commune is constructing 800m of secondary canals to implement the irrigation criteria; at the same time, focusing on mobilizing resources to implement other unmet criteria: cultural facilities, schools.

Mr. Phan Van Hai - Secretary of the Party Cell of Hamlet 3, Hung My Commune, said that in 2015 and 2016, the hamlet mobilized people to contribute 500 million VND to build a spacious and spacious cultural house to serve meetings, community activities, cultural exchanges, and sports training. In 2017, the State supported cement to build 80m of concrete road according to NTM standards. People continued to contribute 1 million VND per person to build the road; the hamlet strives to achieve the status of a cultural village in 2017, contributing to the commune achieving the new rural standards.

Volleyball competition at the Temple Festival (Nghi Khanh Commune - Nghi Loc). Photo: Thanh Chung

According to Mr. Nguyen Nhu Mai - Chairman of Hung My Commune People's Committee, the locality needs capital of more than 9 billion VND to complete the kindergarten, stadium, upgrade the headquarters, multi-functional cultural house of the commune and support 2 hamlets with low population density to build cultural houses. The most difficult thing now is that the inter-commune road has a project of the Pacific Bank, which is expected to be constructed in 2018. We are also proposing that the province prioritize the construction of this road in 2017 to meet the conditions for recognizing the commune as a new rural area.

Up to now, after 6 years of implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction, Hung Nguyen district has had 10/20 communes meeting the New Rural Standards, averaging 13.5 criteria/commune. In addition to the 2 communes registered to reach the finish line in 2017, Hung My and Hung Long, Hung Khanh commune (registered to reach the finish line in 2016 but has not yet achieved) is also urgently completing 2 unmet criteria, which are schools and cultural facilities, so that by the end of 2017, Hung Nguyen district will have 13 communes meeting the new rural standards.

Since the beginning of the year, Minh Thanh mountainous commune (Yen Thanh) has been rushing to complete the remaining criteria to reach the NTM finish line in 2017.

Mr. Tran Khanh Tung - Chairman of Minh Thanh Commune People's Committee said: The commune has completed 17/19 NTM criteria, the 2 criteria that have not been met are traffic and culture. To reach the NTM target by the end of the year, Minh Thanh needs about 10 billion VND. Currently, the commune is asking for permission to auction 17-21 residential land plots, if successful, this will be a source of contribution to investment in NTM construction. In the past time, people of Minh Thanh commune have contributed billions of VND to build roads and build a hamlet cultural house. However, mobilizing people to join the State in completing the remaining criteria is very difficult. While waiting for funding support from the province and district, the commune has used local capital sources such as mobilizing businesses and socialized capital to invest in building schools and some other standard works.

Chairman of Nghi Khanh Commune People's Committee (Nghi Loc) - Mr. Nguyen Dinh Thanh also said: Up to this point, Nghi Khanh has had 16 criteria to meet the NTM standards. The remaining 3 criteria have not been met: cultural facilities, markets and production organization. To achieve 19/19 criteria by the end of 2017, Nghi Khanh focuses on mobilizing all resources, exploiting all land potential, calling for and attracting businesses to invest in the area, implementing the motto of the State and the people working together, linking with the campaign to mobilize people to donate land, contribute money, and workdays to build rural traffic and internal irrigation. However, many infrastructure items still need capital.

Do it right

Nghi Van - Nghi Loc introduces new rice varieties into production for high yield. Photo: Tran Chau

According to the Provincial New Rural Development Coordination Office, currently 20 communes registered to reach the finish line in 2017 are mobilizing all resources to focus on investing in the remaining criteria. Up to now, the province has provided more than 31,000 tons of cement to the communes registered to reach the finish line and more than 10,000 tons of cement to 5 districts with communes meeting the standards in 2016 but have not yet received cement support. The Provincial People's Committee is allocating support funds to the communes this June.

Mr. Hoang Nghia Hieu - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief of the Office of Coordination for New Rural Development of the province, said that building a new rural area is necessary but we cannot rush to achieve results but must do it firmly. In particular, it is necessary to prioritize the implementation of essential criteria to serve people's lives, production, and increase income, thereby having a response.

In the context of limited capital, infrastructure construction should be phased in. The common difficulty for communes registering to reach the NTM target in 2017 is that the implementation time is not long, while capital is limited, infrastructure projects need large funds depending on support capital from all levels and active contributions from the whole society. However, there are things that do not require much funding such as: Environmental protection, clean living, building civilized lifestyles, cultural residential areas... communes can proactively propagate for people to voluntarily implement. In particular, with limited allocated budget capital, communes must have solutions to mobilize population resources, construction plans, to avoid the situation of completing the NTM construction plan targets but the quality of the works is not guaranteed, and basic construction debts.

Xuan Hoang - Thanh Tam