Humane and practical policies for Cao Bang people

The changes in the land of Luc Khu Ha Quang, Cao Bang are vivid proof of the effectiveness of a correct policy of the Party and State.

To date, Ha Quang, Cao Bang has had 1,526 temporary and dilapidated houses removed with nearly 68 billion VND disbursed. Illustrative photo. (Photo: Duc Yen)

Multiply the numbers, multiply the joy

Up to now, Ha Quang, Cao Bang has had 1,526 temporary and dilapidated houses eliminated with nearly 68 billion VND disbursed. It is expected that by the end of 2024, the locality will eliminate more than 1,000 temporary and dilapidated houses. With the determination and cooperation of all levels and sectors, by the end of 2025, basically, poor households still having temporary and dilapidated houses will also be supported, gradually eliminated completely.

At the 13th National Congress, our Party clearly identified the requirements for adjusting multidimensional poverty standards, ensuring minimum living standards and basic services for people; improving the quality of new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction and effectively implementing the socio -economic development program for ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the 2020-2030 period.

Right in the first session of the 15th National Assembly , Resolution No. 24/2021/QH15 approving the investment policy of the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2021-2025 period was passed on July 28, 2021. Resolution 24 identifies the set goals as implementing the goal of multidimensional, inclusive, sustainable poverty reduction, limiting poverty relapse and poverty generation; supporting the poor and poor households to overcome the minimum living standard, access basic social services according to the national multidimensional poverty standard, improve the quality of life; support poor districts and especially disadvantaged communes in coastal and island areas to escape poverty and extreme poverty.

The joy of Hoang Van Sy's family in their new house that was built with support. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

In order to concretize Resolution 24, on January 18, 2022, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 90/QD-TTg approving the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2021-2025 period (the Program).

One of the contents mentioned is the targets to reduce the level of shortage of basic social services. The Program clearly identifies: the shortage of housing, at least 100,000 poor and near-poor households in poor districts are supported with housing, ensuring safe and stable housing, capable of withstanding the impact of natural disasters, contributing to improving the quality of life and sustainable poverty reduction.

This policy was quickly implemented by localities and brought into practice effectively, making people, especially those in poor districts in mountainous areas, remote areas, very excited.

During our work and conversations with the families of Ly Van No and Sung Van Dinh in Sy Dien hamlet, or Hoang Van Sy in Lung Mum hamlet of Thuong Thon commune, Ha Quang district, Cao Bang, we understood more clearly that the policies of the Party and State are correct, practical and full of humanity.

Ly Van No's family will no longer have to avoid one corner after another when it rains because the house is now more solid, private and airy.

In Thuong Thon alone, according to statistics, in 2021, the commune completed the construction of 25 new houses, repaired 4 houses, and 7 prefabricated houses with a total cost of over 1.5 billion VND.

In 2022, 41 households will be supported, including 19 new houses and 22 repaired houses. In 2023, 6 new houses will be built, 12 houses will be repaired, and 2 houses will be socialized, with a total cost of over 700 million VND. In 2024, Thuong Thon commune will be allocated a target to support 110 households, including 50 new houses and 60 houses will be repaired.

As a poor district, located in a mountainous area, lacking everything, the number of poor households in the area accounts for a high percentage, the whole Thuong Thon commune has 455 poor households, 86 near-poor households. Therefore, the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses is implemented by the local government with a high spirit of determination.

And in 2024, the entire Ha Quang Luc Khu area will be determined to eliminate 1,134 temporary and dilapidated houses. In the first 3 months of the year, the district has eliminated 393 houses, the remaining are still being implemented.

Although the above numbers seem very dry, each number that gradually increases will increase the happiness of the people here, whose families are still facing many difficulties...

Families here still face many difficulties… Illustrative photo. (Photo: Phuong Hoa)

Strive to escape poverty by the end of 2025

According to Ms. Dam Mai Hoa, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuong Thon Commune, Ha Quang District, Cao Bang Province, households receiving support to remove temporary and dilapidated houses are mainly poor households, so the counterpart funds to build new or repair houses will mainly come from loans through the Social Policy Bank and loans from relatives.

In addition, the roads to the households are not convenient, and the transportation of materials such as cement, sand, and stone is very difficult. Therefore, during the implementation process, the commune will continue to propagate and mobilize people to build new or repair houses. Households have plans and specific addresses, and the hamlet officials will continue to guide households to follow the "3 hard" criteria (hard foundation, hard frame, and hard roof).

For households with difficult access, we will promote and mobilize people and organizations to help transport materials for households to build new or repair houses.

Ms. Dam Mai Hoa, Vice Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Thuong Thon Commune, hopes that the lives of the people here will have positive changes in the future. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

Providing more specific information about the difficulties and socio-economic situation in the area, Ms. Dam Mai Hoa, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuong Thon Commune, Ha Quang District, said that every year, in the socio-economic targets set out, there is a target of reducing poverty by over 5%.

Accordingly, the locality also deployed national target programs to the people, especially the model of fattening buffalo and cows and the program of converting crop structure. Instructing people to switch to growing ginger, cassava and green hemp to increase income.

Ms. Hoa also said that the biggest difficulty here is the water source. The National Target Program on supporting decentralized domestic water has also supported households with 1-2 large jars and in the coming time, it will propose to the superiors to build more square tanks and public water tanks to ensure enough domestic water for households.

“In the coming time, we will continue to effectively implement the National Target Programs, and build inter-village and inter-hamlet roads to make it easier for people to travel. Along with models of planting key crops and raising breeding cows and buffaloes, we have a model of the Women's Association of the hamlet uniting together to develop the family economy,” said Ms. Dam Mai Hoa.

Specifically, women will support each other in growing corn and raising cattle for fattening. Poor households without cattle will raise them together with better-off households and share the economic benefits of raising large cattle.

Hopefully, with the active participation of local authorities, functional forces, social organizations, and philanthropists, the lives of the poor and disadvantaged families in Ha Quang as well as in many regions of the country will have positive changes; the situation of temporary and dilapidated houses will gradually be completely eliminated.

Talking to TG&VN reporter, Mr. Pham Xuan Tung, Chairman of Ha Quang District People's Committee said that in order to improve people's lives, Cao Bang province has invested heavily in technical infrastructure as well as implemented many solutions to support people in developing production, including a program to support the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses. In 2020, with 35 billion VND from the support source of the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Committee of Hanoi City, Cao Bang province supported 826 poor households in Ha Quang district to have more solid and safe houses. From this bright spot, Cao Bang has expanded and built a project to support the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses for poor households throughout the province.

Mr. Pham Xuan Tung emphasized that Ha Quang strives to basically become a poverty-free district by the end of 2025. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

“At the forefront of this movement, Ha Quang district has so far eliminated 1,526 temporary and dilapidated houses, and disbursed nearly 68 billion VND. From now until the end of 2024, the district plans to support 1,134 households and disburse over 45 billion VND; by the end of 2025, households with temporary and unsafe houses will be supported,” said Mr. Pham Xuan Tung.

In addition, Mr. Tung added that through programs and projects, currently 100% of communes in Ha Quang district have car roads to hamlet centers; 97% of hamlet clusters have national grid electricity, nearly 100% of hamlet centers have access to communication waves. The geotextile pond system to store rainwater and the canal system have helped people in the highlands have enough water for daily life and part of production. The district also focuses on supporting people with production capital, production models according to value chains linked with businesses, cooperatives, production associated with the community, etc.

Mr. Pham Xuan Tung said that the activities have created livelihoods and income for the people and emphasized that Ha Quang strives to basically become a poverty-free district by the end of 2025.

Hopefully, with the active participation of local authorities, functional forces, social organizations, and philanthropists, the lives of the poor and disadvantaged families in Ha Quang as well as in many regions of the country will have positive changes; the situation of temporary and dilapidated houses will gradually be completely eliminated.

Lesson 1: From a solid house in the middle of a cornfield in Ha Quang district, Cao Bang, weaving dreams of change

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bai-2-chinh-sach-nhan-van-va-thiet-thuc-cho-ba-con-cao-bang-278348.html