Ninh Binh firmly steps on the path of building new rural areas

Developing rural tourism is one of Ninh Binh's strengths in building new rural areas. (In photo: TamCoc Friends homestay in Dam Khe Trong village, Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu city). Photo: Minh Duong

Rising from the difficult land

In 2010, when entering the journey of building a new rural area, Ninh Binh province faced many difficulties. Being a purely agricultural province, infrastructure was limited, people's income was low, the poverty rate was high, agricultural production was fragmented and there was no chain linkage, the rural appearance was still backward. At that time, the whole province only achieved an average of 4.8 criteria/commune according to the New Rural Area Criteria Set, with 3 communes achieving 10 criteria or more; average income per capita reached 13.2 million VND/year, more than 12% of the population were poor households.

However, with the strong leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, Provincial People's Committee, the synchronous participation of the entire political system, especially the proactive and unanimous spirit of the people, the New Rural Construction Program has truly spread strongly throughout the countryside of Ninh Binh province.

From the Kim Son coast to the Nho Quan mountains, Gia Vien, Yen Mo, Hoa Lu districts..., each locality has creative, flexible ways of doing things, suitable to practical conditions, contributing to promoting a strong transformation process in all aspects.

Promoting the spirit of the State and the People working together, in which the people are the main subjects, Ninh Binh has mobilized strong resources to implement the construction of new rural areas throughout the province. The total resources mobilized for the Program amounted to more than 68,300 billion VND, of which the state budget capital accounted for 24%, the rest was credit capital, contributions from enterprises and especially from the people, amounting to nearly 13,000 billion VND. People not only contributed money, but also donated thousands of hectares of land, hundreds of thousands of working days, were attached and proactive in each project, each item, thereby creating a "revolution" in awareness and action.

The highlight of the new rural construction movement in Ninh Binh province is the remarkable change in rural infrastructure: 100% of inter-commune, inter-village and main intra-field roads are hardened or concreted, 97% of alleys are clean, bright-green-beautiful. Irrigation systems, electricity, schools, medical stations, and basic culture are invested synchronously, ensuring good service for life and production. In particular, planning work - a key step in building new rural areas has been focused on, with 100% of communes having a general plan for new rural construction, planning of functional areas for production and living are publicly announced and effectively managed.

The rural economic structure has also changed significantly. From being mainly dependent on agriculture, the proportion of agriculture, forestry and fishery in the province is now only 10.1%, industry and construction account for 41.3%, and services account for 48.6%. GRDP per capita reaches more than 96 million VND/year, the average value per hectare of cultivation reaches 160 million VND/year - a big step forward in improving people's lives. Effective production models, new-style cooperatives and cooperatives have been formed and developed, linked to the value chain, applying science and technology, contributing to increasing product value and protecting the environment.

Thematic programs in building new rural areas have been implemented systematically and effectively. The OCOP program has made a clear mark, with 209 products ranked (including 67 4-star products), many products have become typical tourist gifts of Ninh Binh such as: Crispy rice, Kim Son wine, Gia Vien shrimp paste, Bo Bat pottery... In parallel, the rural tourism development program has helped traditional craft villages such as Ninh Van, Van Lam, Sinh Duoc, Yen Thanh... become attractive destinations, deeply connected with major tours such as Trang An, Tam Coc-Bich Dong.

Rural landscapes have also changed positively. Models of clean houses, beautiful gardens, model flower roads, and green-clean-beautiful villages have been widely spread. 100% of communes have organized waste collection and treatment, 90% of households have septic tanks to treat domestic wastewater, and craft villages have invested in upgrading their wastewater treatment systems. Waste classification at source, development of green trees, and creation of a harmonious ecological space are contributing to building a new rural area in a sustainable, modern, and civilized direction.

Towards civilized and modern rural areas

Identifying NTM as a never-ending process, Ninh Binh is continuing to summarize practical experiences and draw lessons to move forward on the journey of implementing the construction of advanced, exemplary and smart NTM. Currently, the whole province has 76 communes meeting advanced NTM standards (accounting for 63.8%) and 2/6 districts meeting advanced NTM standards. Notably, 24 communes have implemented the "smart village" model, where digital technology is applied in management, production, communication and provision of public administrative services.

The digital transformation program in building new rural areas in Ninh Binh is integrated synchronously with the national digital transformation program, implemented systematically from information technology infrastructure, staff training, to OCOP product management platforms, e-commerce, and online public services. People are starting to get acquainted with smart agricultural applications, digital commerce, and product promotion on digital platforms.

Along with that, the work of ensuring security and national defense continues to be maintained. The regular communal police force operates effectively, the movement "All people protect national security" associated with the movement of building new rural areas is strongly promoted. Self-management models, security linkage in border areas, early and remote handling of potential risks, have created a solid foundation for the process of comprehensive and stable development.

A profound lesson learned over the past 15 years is: Building a new rural area is not a “project”, but a process of comprehensive transformation of rural life. In which, the people are the subject, the center; the State plays a role of creation and support; authorities at all levels must be proactive, close to the people, proactively remove bottlenecks in mechanisms, mobilize resources, and arouse internal strength. That has created the strength of consensus - the core factor helping Ninh Binh build a sustainable new rural area in every step.

Looking back on the nearly 15-year journey, it can be affirmed that the New Rural Development Program in Ninh Binh not only brings a prosperous rural appearance, but also forms a solid foundation in terms of economy, culture, society, security, national defense, and environment, where people are not only "well-off" but also "settling down and working" and proud of their homeland. That is the launching pad for Ninh Binh to move towards further goals, becoming a centrally-governed city with the characteristics of a Millennium Heritage City and a creative city.

Nguyen Thom

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/ninh-binh-vung-buoc-tren-con-duong-xay-dung-nong-thon-moi-759009.htm