Muong Lat is warmly loved by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

In the autumn of 2011, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited and worked with the Party Committee and people of the ethnic groups in Muong Lat district. During the trip, the General Secretary spent most of his time inquiring about the living conditions and production of the ethnic people in the most remote and difficult villages of Muong Lat. To this day, the warm feelings and the advice and wishes of the General Secretary remain deeply etched in the hearts of the ethnic people of the mountainous border district of Muong Lat.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits and works in Muong Lat district. Photo courtesy of Minh Hieu.

In 2011, coinciding with the 66th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2nd, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited and worked with the Party Committee and people of the ethnic groups in the border district of Muong Lat. In this remote and most difficult border district of Thanh Hoa province, the General Secretary visited and inquired about the living conditions and production of the ethnic people in Muong Chanh commune and Kham 1 village, Trung Ly commune; and Sang village, Quang Chieu commune. He also outlined the direction for poverty reduction and the development of Muong Lat.

Comrade Trieu Minh Xiet, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Muong Lat District Party Committee, recalled: “That day, the cadres and people of all ethnic groups in Muong Chanh commune were deeply moved by the General Secretary's visit. From early morning, people from remote villages came to the commune's People's Committee hall hoping to meet the General Secretary. Everyone felt the closeness and warm affection that the General Secretary had for the Party Committee and people of Muong Chanh commune. For the first time, the cadres and people of all ethnic groups in the commune had the opportunity to meet and talk with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam .”

Spending considerable time chatting and inquiring about the living conditions, food, clothing, and production of the ethnic minority people in Muong Chanh commune, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his joy: “I was surprised to find that Muong Chanh, a remote and isolated commune, has such a well-developed rural landscape. There are schools, classrooms, health stations, and solid, clean, and beautiful offices; the people have food and housing – it's truly gratifying.” Sharing the difficulties faced by the people, the General Secretary expressed his confidence that with unity, diligence, perseverance, and effective support from all levels and sectors, the ethnic minority people of Muong Chanh will gradually rise out of poverty and gradually eliminate backward customs – Comrade Trieu Minh Xiet recounted.

During that historic visit, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also offered advice and guidance for Muong Chanh's development. The Standing Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Trieu Minh Xiet, still vividly remembers the General Secretary's gentle and warm voice: “I have visited many communes in Thanh Hoa province, and Muong Chanh is the final stop on this working trip. As a poor commune, Muong Chanh still faces many difficulties in its development path. Therefore, the Party Committee, government, Fatherland Front, and mass organizations of Muong Chanh commune need to continue to uphold the fine traditions and new achievements, encourage ethnic minorities to strengthen the great unity, successfully complete political tasks, develop the economy, culture and society, consolidate national defense and security, and care for improving the material and spiritual lives of the local people.” In particular, the General Secretary emphasized the selection of Muong Chanh as a pilot commune for poverty alleviation, linked to the New Rural Development program in the western border region of Thanh Hoa province. At the same time, we hope that the Party Committee, the government, and the people of all ethnic groups in Muong Chanh commune will demonstrate high determination to achieve the set goals. The Party Committee and the people of all ethnic groups in the commune unanimously promise the General Secretary to strive to fulfill the tasks assigned by the General Secretary.

The people of the ethnic groups in Muong Chanh commune (Muong Lat district) were delighted to welcome General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on his visit in 2011.

The journey to create the new rural commune of Muong Chanh in the remote border region has been fraught with difficulties and challenges. Nevertheless, with determination and unity, the Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnic groups in the commune are daily realizing the aspirations of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to lift Muong Chanh out of poverty and become a model new rural commune in the western border region of Thanh Hoa province. From 2021 to the present, Muong Chanh commune has received over 14.28 billion VND in support to invest in and implement new rural commune criteria. By integrating support from the Central Government and Thanh Hoa province with the local budget, the commune has invested in building many important infrastructure projects, such as: commune offices, health stations, village cultural houses; renovating, building new, and upgrading basic school facilities to ensure teaching and learning for teachers and students; and upgrading and investing in transportation and irrigation systems to facilitate people's travel and production development. New electricity and water infrastructure have been built to serve the people. Alongside this, Muong Chanh commune has always focused on promoting, guiding, and supporting local ethnic minorities in shifting the structure of crops and livestock, accessing capital, and receiving training in the transfer of scientific and technical advancements, building high-economic-efficiency farming and livestock models. As a result, the production level and income of the people have gradually improved. The Secretary of the Party Committee of Muong Chanh commune, Luc Van Tam, stated: “In this remote border area of ​​Thanh Hoa province, the landscape has transformed. To date, 100% of the villages in Muong Chanh commune have asphalt or concrete roads; people in all 9 villages have access to the national power grid and have standard village cultural centers; 7 out of 9 villages have achieved the New Rural Area standard. According to the plan, Muong Chanh commune will achieve the New Rural Area standard by the end of 2024 to report to the General Secretary, the Central Committee, and Thanh Hoa province.”

The General Secretary's great heart has stopped beating, but his directives remain invaluable to the Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnic groups in Muong Lat district. The General Secretary's trust and expectations are being gradually realized by the Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnic groups in the district. Mr. Luong Minh Thong, former Secretary of the Muong Lat District Party Committee, emotionally recalled: “At that time, I was serving as the District Party Secretary and had the honor of accompanying the General Secretary on a two-day visit and working trip with the Party Committee and people of Muong Lat district. After visiting and assessing the living conditions of ethnic minorities in several communes in the district, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held a working session with provincial leaders and key officials of Muong Lat district. The General Secretary pointed out the causes of poverty and suggested appropriate solutions to help Muong Lat escape poverty quickly and sustainably. The General Secretary hoped that the leaders of Thanh Hoa province would research, investigate, survey, and accurately analyze the situation of Muong Lat district. From there, they could develop specific and appropriate policies, mechanisms, and solutions to develop Muong Lat district. The focus should be on building and strengthening the Party organization and political system; developing a new rural development plan, and prioritizing investment resources for infrastructure development. Essential socio-economic infrastructure such as electricity, roads, schools, and health stations are crucial for development; strengthening the training, development, and effective deployment and utilization of cadres is essential to bring about a transformation in leadership and guidance in carrying out political tasks. Simultaneously, raising the educational level of ethnic minorities is vital; military-civilian cooperation fosters unity and solidarity, overcoming difficulties and challenges to achieve development.”

The people of the ethnic groups in Muong Chanh commune (Muong Lat district) were delighted to welcome General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on his visit in 2011.

In fulfillment of the General Secretary's wishes, the Provincial Party Standing Committee issued Resolution No. 11-NQ/TU dated September 29, 2022, on "Building and developing Muong Lat district until 2030, with a vision to 2045". The resolution sets the goal of striving to remove Muong Lat from the list of poor districts by 2030; and by 2045, the socio-economic development and per capita income of Muong Lat district will reach the average level of mountainous districts in the province. To put the resolution into practice and open a path out of poverty, the Party committees, government, Fatherland Front, and mass organizations of Muong Lat district have focused on disseminating information and creating strong changes in awareness, consciousness, responsibility, self-reliance, and proactive striving among cadres, Party members, and people of all ethnic groups in the district. At the same time, the district aims to foster a proactive and positive spirit in labor and production, develop household economies, and strive for sustainable poverty alleviation; to avoid relying on state support; and to eliminate feelings of inferiority and resignation among cadres, Party members, and the people. In addition, the district focuses on directing the development of projects to strengthen Party organizations and the political system in the area; develop household economies; and improve the quality of education and training. It also coordinates with the Party Committee of the Provincial Border Guard Command to select cadres and Party members who are border guard officers to participate in activities in border villages. Furthermore, it directs the review and adjustment of the Land Use Planning for the period 2021-2030 for submission to the Provincial People's Committee for approval. Implement the Project "Resettlement and stabilization of residents in areas at high risk of flash floods, landslides, and mudslides in mountainous districts of the province during the 2021-2025 period"; review priority projects for investment during the 2021-2025 and 2025-2030 periods. Coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to implement the plan and methods for agricultural and forestry production according to the four-region orientation of Resolution No. 11-NQ/TU. Simultaneously, Party committees and authorities at all levels in the district proactively and effectively implement the goals and tasks set forth in the Resolution of the 6th District Party Congress, term 2020-2025.

According to the report from Muong Lat district, the average growth rate of production value during the 2021-2023 period reached 5.29%; average per capita income reached over 25 million VND/year, exceeding the target set for the 2020-2025 term; the poverty rate decreased to 39.3% by the end of 2023, reaching 119.7%, exceeding the target for the 2020-2025 term. Along with this, infrastructure has been invested in and upgraded; the national power grid infrastructure continues to receive investment. Even more encouraging, the mindset of dependence and reliance among officials and the people has gradually changed, and they consistently trust and comply well with the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws. Overcoming difficulties and moving forward together with the whole province, the Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnic groups in Muong Lat district are creating positive changes in poverty reduction, socio-economic development, and ensuring national defense and security, meeting the trust, expectations, and aspirations of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Tran Thanh

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/muong-lat-am-ap-tinh-cam-cua-tong-bi-thu-nguyen-phu-trong-220464.htm