Ensuring smooth implementation of new rural construction tasks after merger

With guidance and support, agricultural products of Yen Thang border commune are displayed and introduced at many fairs in and outside the province.

Many changes

Since the end of 2024, based on the analysis of actual conditions, Thanh Hoa has planned to strive for the three old districts of Thach Thanh, Cam Thuy and Ngoc Lac to meet the NTM standards in 2025. Accordingly, localities have accelerated, the province has supported many resources, the Provincial New Rural Development Program Coordination Office has continuously conducted inspections and urged the progress of works and projects... The targets and criteria from the commune, village to district levels have all been rushed, all for the political goal of Thanh Hoa having the first three mountainous districts to meet the NTM standards. However, implementing the policy of dissolving district-level administrative units and establishing new communes, the task of building a new rural area at the district level no longer exists. Due to having all the conditions and completing the set of criteria according to regulations, the old Ngoc Lac district was still assessed by the Central Government, and the Prime Minister issued a decision to meet the NTM standards a few days before the abolition of the district-level administrative unit.

After the new communes were established on the basis of merging old communes, the tasks, criteria, and targets in the New Rural Development Program also changed a lot. The Steering Committee of the National Target Program on New Rural Development in the old communes basically no longer existed, some retired, some were transferred or changed jobs. The head of the steering committee at the commune level was the Party Secretary of the commune, as well as most of the members of the steering committee in the old communes also changed their areas of responsibility...

When establishing a new commune level, many old communes were merged with different levels of meeting NTM standards, causing many new communes to be confused when implementing new tasks. Recently, the Central Government has issued specific instructions, taking the standard level of the lowest commune as the common standard for the new commune. For example, a model NTM commune merged with a commune that only met NTM standards, the new commune will only meet NTM standards, from which it will strive to reach the goal of an advanced NTM commune. With a new commune that has a part of the old district's central town, the Central Government recognizes the old town part as a commune that meets advanced NTM standards, so that the new commune can serve as a basis for striving in the next stage.

According to the reporter's investigation, by mid-August 2025, most of the newly established communes in the province had not yet established a steering committee to implement the National Target Program on New Rural Development at the commune level. On the other hand, the new communes are having to prioritize post-merger consolidation tasks, many more urgent tasks, and in recent days have spent time organizing commune-level party congresses. Accordingly, the task of New Rural Development has become quiet in recent weeks.

What to do

In the mountainous commune of Trung Thanh, the Party Secretary of the commune, Bui Cong Anh, formerly Deputy Chief of the Office of the Provincial New Rural Development Program Coordination, was very conscious of continuing the task of new rural development without interruption. He and the Party Committee and People's Committee of the commune focused on building a modern Public Administration Service Center, applying information technology advances and digital transformation to better perform administrative procedures for the people. Service capacity and the level of completion of administrative procedures are also important indicators stipulated in the National Criteria for New Rural Development for many years.

In recent weeks, Trung Thanh commune has also deployed police forces to patrol and strictly control in order to gradually complete the criteria on security and order in the new rural construction. Roads in the villages are also continuing to be focused on repairing and completing, anticipating the traffic criteria if they are later assessed. The education criteria are also being paid attention to by the commune when focusing on repairing schools and preparing conditions for the new school year.

Mr. Bui Cong Anh said: “Although it is a remote commune, 44km from the old district center, with complex terrain, 95% of the population is Thai ethnic group, the economy mainly depends on hills and forests, so there are still many difficulties. Both the old communes of Trung Thanh and Thanh Son before the merger had not met the NTM standards, but we still determined not to neglect our tasks, not to interrupt this major program. After the Commune Party Congress and some urgent tasks, the commune will immediately establish a steering committee for NTM construction to continue implementing the tasks”.

In order to not interrupt the task of building new rural areas in the whole province, the Chairman of Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee has just issued Official Dispatch No. 12806/UBND-NNMT on "Continuing to promote the implementation of the National Target Program on building new rural areas and sustainable poverty reduction", requesting relevant units to immediately deploy tasks and solutions. Accordingly, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested communes to urgently establish Steering Committees to implement national target programs at the commune level; at the same time, stabilize the staff and apparatus to work on building new rural areas and sustainable poverty reduction in a professional and effective manner to continue to carry out the task in the coming time. Communes need to strengthen propaganda work, raise awareness and responsibility of OCOP subjects on ensuring food safety and product quality associated with local raw material areas. Along with that, support OCOP subjects to continue developing products, improving capacity and expanding markets; Enhance the role and responsibility in inspecting and supervising production and processing activities of OCOP entities.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to preside over and coordinate with relevant units to advise competent authorities to promptly adjust, supplement or abolish in accordance with the 2-level local government model. Urgently review and develop plans to adjust and allocate central budget funds to implement the program. At the same time, coordinate with relevant departments and branches to deploy, guide and urge the People's Committees at the commune level to organize an assessment of the current status of new rural construction in the area after the arrangement, and plan to develop orientations, goals, tasks and key solutions to be implemented in the period 2026-2035, first of all in the period 2026-2030, associated with the goal of building "ecological agriculture, modern countryside, civilized farmers" in the province, report to the Provincial Steering Committee and the Provincial People's Committee before August 30, 2025.

Article and photos: Ha Giang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/dam-bao-thong-suot-nhiem-vu-xay-dung-nong-thon-moi-sau-sap-nhap-258744.htm