"Go far away to return"

In the last week of June, officials, civil servants, and workers from the former An Giang province proactively traveled to Rach Gia, both to perform their professional duties and to view official housing and accommodation, preparing for their upcoming work assignments. Besides the main routes (National Highway 80, Lo Te - Rach Soi Expressway), depending on their location, people chose to travel along Provincial Road 943 - Provincial Road 961 (towards Thoai Son - Vinh Thong) or along the Tam Ngan Canal to Hon Dat and Rach Gia.

The first time they went, they were confused and unfamiliar with the roads and scenery. The second time, everything felt a little more familiar. By the third or fourth time, they were familiar with the main routes and had a good understanding of the place where they would be settling down for the long term. Some already knew about the local specialty, Kien Giang fish noodle soup, the delicious fresh seafood restaurants, the streets selling snacks, and the "chill" cafes in the reclaimed land area… The roads in Rach Gia ward are interconnected like a chessboard; you can easily get to your destination by wandering around, so you don't have to worry about getting lost.

Officials, civil servants, and public employees are being assigned new duties. Photo: MINI

Of course, nothing is easy. Having become so accustomed to the old workspace, the old unit, the old colleagues... the journey to a new workplace, a new unit, and new colleagues is always full of emotions. Along with that comes a lot of work to do: packing up belongings and company assets from the old unit and transporting them to the new unit; quickly cleaning, organizing, and arranging the new workspace and living quarters…

During this time, the common question among officials and civil servants wasn't "How are you doing?", but rather "Which agency are you working at now? Have you been to Rach Gia yet?". Everyone shared information about the progress of official housing allocation; recommended affordable and conveniently located accommodation; and suggested good and inexpensive restaurants… These inquiries were filled with genuine concern, not just empty words. Because helping each other overcome initial difficulties and "settle down" was essential before considering "successful careers." Besides the support from the new province's policies and mechanisms, and the enthusiastic support of the local officials and civil servants of Rach Gia, each official in Long Xuyen had to "learn" and absorb a great deal of knowledge so that this unfamiliar place would become their second home.

Mr. Le Thanh Tien (from the Department of Mass Organizations and Associations, Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department) entrusted the responsibility of caring for his two children to his wife (who works in a commune about 100km from Rach Gia), and began working far from home, unable to return home every day as before. Due to the nature of his work, he not only works regular office hours but is also busy with unexpected business trips. Leaving early and returning late, and living in official housing, would create many inconveniences, so he and his colleagues decided to rent a room. The price is over 2 million VND/month, with a mezzanine, air conditioning, etc., which is relatively affordable. He travels by his personal Honda motorbike and plans to return home on Wednesday and Friday afternoons each week. For now, all expenses for rent and transportation are self-funded, so he hopes to receive support from the province soon.

“After the initial awkwardness, I felt very happy to receive enthusiastic help from my new colleagues in preparing the office. The agency's leadership is reorganizing the personnel in the specialized departments, and we are ready to start working when assigned. Although busy with many tasks during this transitional period, before, during, and after the merger of administrative units at all levels, we have always actively promoted the significance and progress of the merger on digital platforms and social media, helping officials, Party members, and the people understand the policy and agree to its implementation,” Mr. Tien shared.

Packing up documents in preparation for moving to the new office. Photo: NGUYEN XE

We joked that we were starting over as fresh graduates: finding accommodation, getting acquainted with the streets, and approaching work and the area from scratch. But the biggest advantage was the support from our families and superiors, who shared the immediate challenges and looked ahead together. Each of us rearranged our lives and personal moods, quickly adapting to this change. We weren't alone, because there were retired officials who actively followed our progress and encouraged us with meaningful advice.

“My generation after 1975 witnessed tremendous changes. Then came 1986 with its extraordinary transformations. And now, with many rapid changes, the hopes are also very high… I hope that young people will know how to choose what is good, stay away from ‘big, wobbly vehicles that will fall over,’ and wholeheartedly contribute to bringing the country to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world! The road ahead is wide open!” - shared Mr. Le Chi Thanh (former Deputy Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department).

On June 30th, General Secretary To Lam called for: “All levels of government, agencies, organizations, civil servants, and workers to make a strong transformation in thinking and action, grasp development trends, innovate ways of thinking and doing, improve leadership and management capacity, promote the spirit of daring to think, daring to act, daring to take responsibility, and being ready to sacrifice personal interests to move towards a service-oriented, modern, transparent administration, of the people, by the people, and for the people. Let each person be a soldier on the front lines of reform. Let the revolutionary spirit attack strongly, decisively, and creatively, imbued with the national spirit in every action, every decision, and every step of development. At this point, our ranks are well-organized, the lines are straight, and the whole nation is marching towards a bright future for the country, for the happiness of the people, and for a sustainably developed Vietnam.”

That "call to action" is being implemented by cadres, civil servants, and workers in many ways, including commuting to work "far but near," overcoming obstacles of space and time... to continue the journey of building the homeland and the country. Going far away is to return, in a new understanding in this new era!

GIA KHANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/-di-xa-de-tro-ve--a423671.html