(VOV) – The northern province of Bac Ninh has adopted a target program on new rural development until 2015 in which half of all communes must match the criteria for new rural areas. To realize its goal, which is double the national goal, Bac Ninh is exerting maximum effort for that it considers an important mission for local authorities and people. It’s acknowledged that many villages in the program have already fulfilled 18 of 19 criteria.

Rural roads in Bac Ninh province have been paved. (Photo: Dinh Hue/VNA)

Anyone to Dai Dong Thanh commune in Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province, feels like an urban area but remains a rural region. High-rise houses are close together. The paved inter-village roads are 14 meters wide. The communes have a clean environment and upgraded historical sites. Local traditional crafts have been revived, fields have been master-planned scientifically and an irrigation system has been built. Villager Nguyen Thi Nhi says her family used to have 8 ‘sao’ of rice fields located in different places. Following the land restructuring, she now has just three plots of land in a place which is convenient for farming. Nhi says since the program was launched, local villagers are happy because they understand its benefits ‘The village administration has taken drastic, coordinated measures to develop new rural areas. Everybody has helped their neighbors increase production. Roads and houses have been upgraded.’

Bac Ninh now has 63 communes which have completed 9 criteria. 28 communes have completed 14, and two villages have reached 18 criteria. Nguyen Van Xuyen, Director of the provincial rural development department, says that the province has outlined projects to build new rural areas for 100 communes which have an average per capita income of 2,000 USD a year, mainly from doing traditional crafts and working in industrial zones. Xuyen said in the future, crafts and craft villages will be planned in accordance with the master-plan on new rural areas under which crafts that do not cause environmental pollution will be maintained and developed. Provincial leaders have said development of industries for agriculture must be linked to generating jobs for local people and industrial clusters should be established to attract investment. Nguyen Van Xuyen, who is also a member of the provincial steering committee, says ‘Our target is just by 2015, half of our 100 communes with be recognized and by 2020, 80%. Our survey shows that none of the local communes has reached all the required criteria but a majority have fulfilled a great many. Bac Ninh is a delta province with developed infrastructure. The infrastructure only needs a little upgrading to match the standards for new rural areas.’

Tran Van Tuy, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the province will leverage villages that produce traditional products using local materials to provide local jobs and increase incomes. By 2015, every village in the province will have at least one non-agricultural trade and by 2020, there will be more than 300 trade villages. Traditional craft villages are being restored and preserved.

VOV