He is an inspiration for many projects.

Việt Nam•24/08/2023

(Haiphong.gov.vn) - During his approximately two years as Deputy Prime Minister , he left many memorable impressions and images, especially the image of a busy leader, "climbing mountains and crossing streams," resolutely promoting important national projects and works.

The revival of the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant "mega-project" after more than a decade of dormancy owes a great deal to Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh. Since the Government Standing Committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the afternoon of July 25, 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh was directly assigned by the Prime Minister to handle the project's obstacles with the spirit of "bringing the project into operation and use as soon as possible, avoiding wasting state resources and the people's money and efforts."

A week later, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, along with a delegation, directly inspected the site and held a meeting to discuss the progress of the project, which has a total investment of nearly 2 billion USD. Since then, he has chaired meetings almost monthly to address project issues, particularly those related to "trust and responsibility".

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh inspects the construction site of the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant project - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

To this day, many officials and workers of the project surely still remember the Deputy Prime Minister's words: "I will stand side by side with you, I will not let you work alone or bear responsibility alone." The encouragement from the government leader ignited enthusiasm and created a new momentum for the project. The Deputy Prime Minister also requested the Project Management Board to install a countdown clock and a sign at the entrance of the headquarters with the inscription: "Every day arriving early saves tens of billions of dong."

The Deputy Prime Minister observes the first firing of Unit 1 at the Thai Binh 2 Thermal Power Plant's Central Control Center - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

Speaking at the project's inauguration ceremony last April, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed the completed project as having "benefited people, resources, organizations, and the people's hearts."

The Deputy Prime Minister listens to a report on the progress of the Phan Thiet – Dau Giay expressway project - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan.

Thorough and decisive

With a thorough, decisive, and specific working style, the Deputy Prime Minister frequently visits construction sites to supervise projects, holds regular monthly meetings on the progress of key projects, and addresses problems immediately wherever they arise.

The North-South Expressway project (Eastern section) is one of the major projects that the Government and the Prime Minister have given the highest attention to and have been diligently directing its implementation in recent times.

As the Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the State Steering Committee for National Key Projects and Projects in the Transport Sector, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has devoted much time, effort, and passion to the country's vital expressway.

Besides accompanying the Prime Minister on "cross-Vietnam, across Tet" trips to inspect the North-South expressway project, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh is frequently present at the site, chairing numerous meetings with ministries, departments, and localities to expedite everything from land clearance to material preparation, etc.

The fact that the Government issued two specific resolutions (Resolution 133 and Resolution 66) within just three months to address the "problem" of insufficient embankment materials for the Eastern North-South Expressway project is a rare occurrence for a project. These resolutions both bear the mark of Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh.

Each time he visited the project site to inspect and inspect the work of the officials and workers, the Deputy Prime Minister not only urged progress but also reminded them to "work for the honor" of those entrusted with the mission of "pioneering the way." He urged contractors and construction units to work for their brand, for the honor and responsibility to the country; to keep their promises and create expressways "for today, for tomorrow, and for generations to come."

The Deputy Prime Minister inspects the progress of the Mai Son - National Highway 45 project - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan.

At each meeting, he set specific deadlines that needed to be met with a spirit of effort, determination, and innovation to "race against time" and not miss any opportunity to develop the country. Every meeting had to have concrete results.

At the meeting on the nationwide implementation of the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system on June 24, 2022, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh once again affirmed the firm commitment to not delaying any deadlines and to completing the system nationwide before July 31, 2022. After this deadline, any toll station that has not completed the system will be shut down and will not be allowed to continue collecting tolls, with the investor bearing full responsibility.

With the "ultimatum," the decisive statement from Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, the deployment of the ETC system is no longer subject to hesitation or excuses to justify delays as in previous instances.

At a meeting with the Ministry of Transport on the progress of tasks on October 27, 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh set a specific requirement for the Cat Linh - Ha Dong elevated railway line (Hanoi): The Ministry of Transport must urgently complete the remaining stages and hand them over to Hanoi City before November 10, 2021, for operation and use.

With the strong impetus from the Deputy Prime Minister, on November 6, 2021, four days ahead of schedule, the first elevated railway trains in Hanoi officially began operation. And Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh was one of the first passengers to board the train at Cat Linh station (the starting point of the line), departing for Yen Nghia station (the end point of the line).

Regarding the Long Thanh airport project, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has consistently emphasized the need to accelerate progress, stating, "This project does not allow for any further delays." He added, "This is a key project; anyone who delays and negatively impacts the progress will be removed, and others will be allowed to do the work."

At times, unwilling to accept the slow pace of work, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh requested the investor to innovate their thinking and methods, and promised to work closely with all parties to ensure the progress of Long Thanh airport. He also advised, "You all should try to keep the commitments you have made."

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh inspects the landslide site on Ong Tuong hillside, Hoa Binh province - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

Dedicated and committed

Not only is he decisive in overseeing projects and construction, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh is also very thorough and responsible in directing disaster prevention and control efforts.

The image of Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh wearing a raincoat and a pith helmet while entering the areas most affected by Typhoon No. 4 in 2022 left a deep impression on many people in Central Vietnam. This was the strongest super typhoon (internationally named Noru) in 20 years, with wind gusts reaching level 17.

Even before the storm formed off the coast of the Philippines, far from the South China Sea, the National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, held an online meeting with 16 coastal localities (on the afternoon of September 25, 2022) to discuss how to respond to the storm. Minutes after the meeting, the Prime Minister issued an urgent dispatch on preventing and responding to this powerful storm.

The Deputy Prime Minister personally inspected the site and encouraged the people at the storm shelter in Thua Thien Hue province during Typhoon No. 4 in 2022 - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan

Hours before the storm made landfall, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh personally inspected the disaster prevention efforts and established a forward command post in the area where the storm was expected to pass. He ordered all online monitoring stations in key areas to remain open all night. After spending the afternoon traveling through several central provinces, he expressed his joy that "by 5 p.m., not a single person was left on the streets." The safety and lives of the people are paramount.

The Deputy Prime Minister visits and inquires about the lives of the people in An Xuan village, Thua Thien Hue - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan.

That evening, from the command center of the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh convened a meeting of various locations to report on the situation and the impacts of the storm.

The Deputy Prime Minister oversaw operations throughout the night from the eye of the storm - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan.

The Deputy Prime Minister worked through the night from the eye of the storm (Thua Thien Hue province), because "we're here to fight the storm, not to sleep." Throughout the night, information poured in continuously to the "headquarters," and the hotline operated non-stop. The closer the storm got to shore, the greater the enthusiasm, responsibility, and proactiveness.

The Deputy Prime Minister inspected the damage caused by the tornado in Cua Viet town, Gio Linh district, Quang Tri province - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan.

The Deputy Prime Minister visits and inquires about the living conditions of people affected by the tornado in Cua Viet town, Quang Tri province - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan.

The "field commander's" eyes constantly followed the images, graphics, and numbers scrolling across the screens around the room, connected to online hubs and locations heavily impacted by the storm. "Water, fire, robbery, and theft"—a moment of complacency in the face of a major disaster can be costly, especially when confronting a top-tier catastrophe. Despite the extremely powerful storm, the proactive and decisive response of the entire system ensured that damage was minimized, and most importantly, there were no fatalities.

The Deputy Prime Minister visited the Nui Beo Coal Company's mine in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province, to inspect production and inquire about the lives of the workers - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan.

The image of a dedicated, responsible, decisive, and approachable leader also left a lasting impression on the people, officials, workers, and laborers when he climbed Ong Tuong Hill to inspect the Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant expansion site amidst prolonged heavy rains. Or when he descended into the mine at a depth of nearly 300 meters below sea level at the Nui Beo Coal Company in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh province, to check on production and encourage the miners.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh inquires about the production situation and encourages mine workers - Photo: VGP/Duc Tuan.

Knowing that the work deep underground was arduous and sometimes dangerous, but witnessing the calm optimism of the miners as they produced "black gold" for the nation, the Deputy Prime Minister expressed his admiration, gratitude, and commendation for the mining team. He even brought gifts and personally handed them to the miners in the mine, much to everyone's surprise.

There are many stories about him that cannot be fully told within the confines of a single article. On the evening of August 22, 2023, that passionate heart stopped beating, leaving behind much regret because everyone hoped that one day he would recover, would once again enthusiastically throw himself into work, and would travel across the country to direct, supervise, and resolve difficulties and obstacles for projects with decisive and effective measures.

Ultimately, the miracle did not happen; no one can escape the cycle of "birth, aging, illness, and death." But his contributions and legacy – along with the collective efforts of the Government under the leadership of the Central Party Committee, and with the involvement of the entire political system – continue to inspire and empower us in fulfilling our assigned tasks and missions. We respectfully bid farewell to you, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh!

(According to Chinhphu.vn)

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