(VOV) - Muong Khuong in Lao Cai province is one of the 62 poorest districts in Vietnam. Located in a mountainous area with rocky terrain, local ethnic people have focused on building new roads in the new rural development.

The local are joining the construction of rural road in Ta Gia Khau hamlet in Muong Khuong. (Photo: giaothongvantai.com.vn)

Sin Chai hamlet harvests rice and corn. Although the new road was poorly built, it has been a remarkable change compared to about a month ago. Now higher income earning households in Sin Chai can buy motorbikes to make their traveling more convenient. Previously, the motorbikes were only for display, according to Pham Thi Nhung, a villager. Nhung comments ‘In the past, rural roads were small alleys which allowed only allowed a single person to go through at a time. It took a whole day to carry only three shipments of either rice or corn up the slope. But now the growers can hire either trucks or use the motorbikes to transport rice home. It’s much more convenient.’

Nhung’s happy to tell about initial days when the entire hamlet of Sin Chai began implementing the new rural development program: ‘Though the villagers had to donate their land and efforts, they were very excited. Each household contributed an average of nearly 26 USD to hire machine to build roads. Many locals whose farm produce approached  harvest voluntarily donated their land for the program.’

The inner road in Sin Chai which is nearly 1 km long and 3 meters wide is built thanks to the fields of ten households. But none of the donators have complained. One of them, Lo Ti Lien, says ‘I didn’t regret it. We now have roads helping to make travel more conveniently.’

The new road in Sin Chai is almost completed. Now in late evening, the local people often gather in the street to chat. They hope the road will help them earn a better living.

New rural development is one of the programs to have received special attention of various administrations. Steering committees on new rural development have been established from the district to the commune levels on top of issuing specific regulations. Muong Khuong has developed mutual emulation agreements with each district and let communes to register for completing criteria in each year. Nguyen Manh Thanh, heading Muong Khuong district’s agricultural section, says ‘Based on 19 criteria of the Decision 491, the district’s steering committee has assigned relevant agencies and their heads to be directly in charge of supervising the application of the norms in their fields. The district’s coordination groups have been set up to assist the head, to follow and instruct hamlets to conduct the criteria. The agricultural section is in charge of economic restructuring to increase local farmers’ income.’