(VOVworld) – Dong Tho commune in Thai Binh province has completed several new rural criteria thank to local people’s active response. They have worked together to upgrade rural roads, which is one of the most important criteria in new rural development.

People eagerly get involved in making road

The commune is noisy with the sounds the concrete mixer and people calling each other to carry construction materials to build a road. Everyone is happy because they will have new, convenient inter-hamlet roads to replace narrow lanes which would become slushy in the rain.

When the authority informed the villagers of the new rural development program, many households agreed to donate land and money to make roads. For example, Nguyen The Phong in Tran Phu hamlet contributed 50 sqm of land and Nguyen Van Huy in Lam Son hamlet contributed 24,000 UDS. Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, a villager, said: “The new rural development program has made the countryside more beautiful. The villagers have actively got involved in building rural roads. Each person donated at least 25 USD and 20 to 30 work days.”

Dong Tho commune has established a construction board consisting of villagers of each hamlet to steer the work. Pham Van Thang, Secretary of Lam Son hamlet’s Party cell, says: “Most of the people in my hamlet are elderly so their contribution is limited. We have mobilized funding from young successful people who are working away from home. They enthusiastically made contributions.”

Ha Xuan Hung, Deputy Secretary of Dong Tho commune’s Party Committee, said in addition to communications, they organized several meetings to collect people opinions, assign hamlets to make planning, estimate cost, and manage their program. Dong Tho has finished 15 of the 19 new rural criteria. The commune targets 2 more criteria of environmental sanitation and poverty reduction this year, said Hung: “We agree that when building new rural areas, the state gives one part and the people contribute three. We have always promoted democracy in every work. The authorities need to help people resolve obstacles. We plan to continue land clearance for road construction to make transportation more convenient.”

Dong Tho people are determined to complete all 19 rural criteria by 2015.