The arrangement of district and commune-level administrative units is a major policy of the Party and State, aiming to overcome the shortcomings and limitations of small-scale administrative units, fragmented development space, causing many difficulties in socio -economic development. To implement this policy, localities in the province focus on implementing it with a spirit of urgency and seriousness, ensuring the correct goals and roadmap.
Political system involved
Son La province has 12 district-level administrative units; 204 commune-level administrative units, including 188 communes, 7 wards, and 9 towns. Previously, the separation and establishment of commune-level administrative units were mostly based on natural factors, without considering criteria on area and population, leading to some administrative units having natural areas and population sizes that did not meet the prescribed standards.
Pursuant to Conclusion No. 48-KL/TW dated January 30, 2023 of the Politburo on continuing to reorganize district and commune-level administrative units in the 2023-2030 period, in the 2023-2025 period, Son La province must complete the reorganization of commune-level administrative units subject to mandatory reorganization, including 3 towns in the districts: Phu Yen, Thuan Chau, Yen Chau. Along with that, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee has a policy of encouraging the reorganization, expansion, and establishment of urban administrative units, creating momentum for socio-economic development and effective State management in the locality, including: Reorganization and adjustment of administrative boundaries to expand Song Ma town, Song Ma district, on the basis of adjusting part of the area of Na Nghiu commune; establishment of Quynh Nhai town, Quynh Nhai district, on the basis of the entire area and population of Muong Giang commune; Establish Moc Chau town on the basis of the entire natural area and population of Moc Chau district. In the period of 2026-2030, Son La province continues to implement and complete the task of adjusting the administrative boundaries of Mai Son district, expanding Son La city associated with the goal of developing Son La city in the direction of a type I urban area and developing rapidly, greenly and sustainably.
In order to implement the roadmap, the Provincial People's Committee directs specialized agencies to guide the People's Committees of districts and cities to develop plans and projects to rearrange administrative units. The implementation of the steps is carried out by the District People's Committee and is the investor. The Department of Home Affairs is responsible for guiding and urging the People's Committees of districts and cities to carry out the task of developing projects to establish, adjust and rearrange administrative units. The Department of Construction is responsible for guiding the District People's Committees to carry out the task of preparing general planning projects, developing urban development programs, and projects to recognize urban types; appraising and submitting to the Provincial People's Committee and competent authorities for approval of projects and proposals.
In localities where the Steering Committees of district, city, commune and town Party Committees have been established, they are responsible for arranging administrative units, headed by the Party Secretary or Deputy Secretary - Chairman of the People's Committee. At the same time, develop a specific plan with clear tasks and implementation roadmap; organize dissemination of documents of the Central Government, the province and the district to individuals, organizations and people in influential administrative units; develop and complete the overall plan for arranging local administrative units for the period 2023-2025, submit it to the Standing Committee of the District and City Party Committees for comments, and submit it to the Provincial People's Committee.
Ensure regulations, consistent with reality
Yen Chau is one of three localities implementing the merger of commune-level administrative units in the period of 2023-2025. Through review, Yen Chau town has not yet met the criteria for a type IV urban area in terms of population size, natural area is 1.17 km², only reaching 8.3% (according to regulations 14 km²); population is over 3,900 people, reaching 99% compared to regulations. To ensure regulations on administrative unit standards, construction progress of type IV urban areas, the District People's Committee has developed a plan to submit to the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Home Affairs to ask for opinions from competent authorities for the policy of adjusting the administrative boundaries of Vieng Lan commune, Sap Vat commune, and expanding Yen Chau town.
Accordingly, the District People's Committee proposed a plan to adjust 8.14 km²; 2,491 people of Vieng Lan commune; 6.44 km²; 2,532 people of 6 villages, including: Bat Dong, Khong, Na Khai, Him Lam, Nghe and ½ of Mat Sai village of Sap Vat commune into Yen Chau town. After adjusting the administrative boundaries of the communes to expand the town, the whole district reduced 1 commune, from 15 commune-level administrative units to 14 units. After the expansion, Yen Chau town has an area of 15 km², population of about 8,980 people, reaching 100% of the standard.
Mr. Lu Van Cuong, Chairman of Yen Chau District People's Committee, said: The commune-level administrative units of the district have a long history of formation and development, through many times of separation, merger, change of administrative boundaries and names. Therefore, when implementing the plan of arrangement and merger, the district calculated the plan, researched the merger of communes to ensure regulations and suitability with reality. Due to the urgent time and progress, the district has set out a specific implementation time, ensuring completion on schedule. Currently, the communes have organized widespread propaganda among the people about the merger policy and received consensus.
As for Phu Yen town, the urban population has a rapid growth rate; the industrial, handicraft and service sectors have developed strongly; the land use demand of state agencies, units, enterprises and residents is increasing day by day. However, after review, Phu Yen town has a natural area of 1.05 km², only reaching 7.5% of the standard. Therefore, it is necessary to arrange administrative boundaries according to regulations. Accordingly, on January 28, 2021, the Standing Committee of Phu Yen District Party Committee issued Project No. 07-DA/HU to expand Phu Yen town. After more than 2 years of implementation, up to now, the district is coordinating with the consulting unit, striving to complete the draft plan for merging, adjusting and expanding administrative boundaries by the end of 2023.
Ms. Vu Thi Thanh Huong, Head of the Department of Internal Affairs of Phu Yen district, said: The Department has advised the District People's Committee to implement the Project of merging and adjusting administrative boundaries according to the correct steps. Carry out the steps of adjusting part of the administrative boundaries of Huy Bac, Quang Huy, Huy Ha communes into Phu Yen town; adjust the remaining area of Huy Bac commune into Huy Ha commune, the remaining area of Quang Huy commune into Suoi To commune. After adjustment, the area of the town increased by nearly 15 km², with 25 villages and sub-areas. The whole district reduced 2 communes after the arrangement (dissolution of Huy Bac and Quang Huy communes).
Photo: Khai Hoan
Regarding the arrangement and adjustment of administrative boundaries, expansion of Thuan Chau town and Song Ma town, the districts have completed the step of establishing the general planning project, basically completed the urban development program, continued to develop the urban classification project, and submitted it to the competent authority for approval. Regarding the establishment of Quynh Nhai town, the district is implementing the step of establishing the general urban planning project. Thus, after arranging the number of commune-level administrative units, the whole province will reduce 4 units (including 2 communes of Phu Yen district, 1 commune of Yen Chau district, 1 commune of Thuan Chau district); there will be 200 commune-level administrative units left.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Party Cell Secretary, Head of Sub-area 7, Thuan Chau Town, Thuan Chau District, said: In the near future, a part of the area of Chieng Ly and Phong Lang communes will be merged into the town, and the local people are very in agreement with the policy. After the merger, the area and population will increase, the area will expand, and we hope to have more opportunities and resources for development.
On track, on target
With a spirit of urgency and seriousness, at this time, localities have basically completed the development of plans to arrange and merge commune-level administrative units; accelerated the progress of project development, collected voters' opinions; and continued to implement steps according to regulations. However, the implementation process has encountered difficulties, such as: the arrangement of rural administrative units with urban administrative units, some criteria of urban types are difficult to achieve, such as: the ratio of balanced revenue and expenditure budget, the ratio of non-agricultural labor, population density... Or the requirement is that districts must complete and have competent authorities approve planning projects and urban classification projects before developing administrative unit arrangement projects. In addition, the implementation of administrative unit arrangement and adjustment; establishment, upgrading and expansion of towns is not uniform. The progress of some districts is still slow, affecting the progress of developing general plans and projects for the whole province. Along with that is the surplus of cadres after the merger...
To resolve the difficulties, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs, informed: The Provincial People's Committee directed relevant sectors to coordinate with districts to review and accelerate the progress of establishing, adjusting and completing related plans, ensuring the arrangement of administrative units in accordance with provincial planning, rural planning, and urban planning; focusing on building a master plan and project to arrange administrative units for the period 2023-2025.
To reorganize the apparatus, the Provincial People's Committee directed the districts to review qualified cadres and civil servants who wish to continue working and arrange them to take up positions in new administrative units. Prioritize the arrangement of cadres and civil servants on-site, transfer civil servants to communes with shortages in the district or transfer them to specialized agencies of the district according to regulations. For redundant cadres and civil servants who are not old enough to be re-elected, not qualified enough to retire or retire according to their personal wishes, the most favorable conditions will be created for them to retire according to regulations...
The Department of Home Affairs will advise the Provincial People's Committee to develop a master plan and submit it to the Ministry of Home Affairs for appraisal in October 2023. After the Ministry of Home Affairs appraises the plan, the province will develop a detailed project; strive to complete and submit it to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government in the third quarter of 2024.
To continue achieving the goal of reorganizing district and commune-level administrative units, on August 29, 2023, the Provincial Party Standing Committee issued Directive No. 32-CT/TU on leadership and direction of the implementation of the reorganization of district and commune-level administrative units in the 2023-2030 period in the province. In particular, it requires Party committees at all levels, authorities, the Fatherland Front, and socio-political organizations to continue to thoroughly grasp and seriously and effectively implement documents of the Central Government and the province on the reorganization of district and commune-level administrative units. The Party Committee of the Provincial People's Committee is assigned to lead and direct the Provincial People's Committee to urgently issue a plan and develop a master plan for the reorganization of district and commune-level administrative units in the province for the 2023-2025 period, and submit it to the Ministry of Home Affairs within the prescribed time limit.
The Provincial Party Committee's Organizing Committee presides over the appraisal of the overall plan and project to rearrange administrative units at district and commune levels; presides over and coordinates with the district and city Party Committees to develop and implement plans to rearrange the organizational apparatus, arrange the staff, civil servants, and public employees, and the roadmap for the arrangement of redundant cadres, civil servants, public employees, and workers in communes, wards, and towns after the rearrangement and merger.
The Standing Committees of the district Party Committees in the reorganization area shall focus on leading the drastic and effective implementation of plans, projects, and plans for the reorganization of administrative units approved by competent authorities in accordance with regulations, roadmaps, and set time limits; carry out good propaganda and mobilization of cadres and people to support the policy; regularly inspect and supervise party organizations and party members in leading, directing, and organizing the implementation of the reorganization of administrative units.
With the strong direction and active participation of all levels and sectors, Son La province strives to complete the arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels according to the set roadmap; contributing to streamlining the organizational apparatus, reducing state budget expenditures, expanding development space, promoting the potential and advantages of localities; promoting socio-economic development, improving people's lives.
Thanh Huyen
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