(VOVworld) - Last year, the Prime Minister approved a pilot project to recruit 600 outstanding young people to lead commune-level People’s Committees in 62 poor districts nationwide. In 1 year of implementation, the program has won enthusiastic support from many local authorities nationwide. Our reporter Thu Hang reports on this reinforcement of  commune-level management staff.

Young graduates are sent to assist poor rural areas

The project to recruit 600 outstanding young people to lead commune-level People’s Committees was launched by the Prime Minister last year in an effort to improve human resources and assure even development throughout the country. The project has aided sustainable poverty reduction and improved the management staff in rural and mountainous areas. Cao Bang was the first province to receive 40 young intellectuals as Communal Vice Chairmen in 5 poor districts. Chairman of Cao Bang province’s People’s Committee Nguyen Hoang Anh said the province has created the best possible conditions for them to do their work: "The most important thing is that the young people are very creative and dynamic, so they will discover many problems of concern in disadvantaged localities. However, beside university knowledge, young intellectuals also need experience and support".

Deputy Head of Kon Tum province’s Department of Home Affairs, Dang Viet Cuong said that after receiving 18 young intellectuals, the province assigned them tasks matched to their majors - economics, agriculture, forestry, administration or law. Most of them have authored initiatives which have contributed significantly to the economic development of Vietnam’s poorest districts: "Those 18 young people received their tasks and worked rather smoothly. They have visited communes and given advice to those communes’ People’s Committees".

The program to send outstanding young intellectuals to poor districts is part of the Party and State’s human resource policy. According to Nguyen Ho Canh, Chairman of Tuong Duong district’s People’s Committee in Nghe An province, the 13 young graduates with their creative working methods and knowledge are just what the province needs. These people have made fact finding tours to learn more about the situation in their localities: "This is a trial period for those young intellectuals. They will work closely with the commune’s staff and will be assessed by the local leaders after 5 years".

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, in 1 year of implementation, the 600 young intellectuals have fulfilled their assigned tasks and won support from the community. Deputy Minister and Head of the Program’s Steering Board, Nguyen Tien Dinh said the Board will expand the program in the coming months: "Though in a trial period, those young intellectuals legally hold the title of communal vice chairs. This is good training for them. This is the first time young intellectuals have been appointed as communal vice chairs".

According to local authorities, the program is practical and will help to spur growth in poor rural areas.