National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn (centre) attends a ceremony announcing the Prime Minister’s decision on recognising Yên Bái Province's Văn Yên District to meet criteria of a new-style rural area in 2024. VNA/VNS Photo

YÊN BÁI — National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn on Saturday attended a ceremony announcing the Prime Minister’s decision on recognising Yên Bái Province's Văn Yên District to meet criteria of a new-style rural area in 2024 and receiving a second-class Labour Order.

At the ceremony, on behalf of Party and State leaders, the NA chairman handed over the State President’s second-class Labour Order to the Party, administration and people of Văn Yên District.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoàng Trung presented the Prime Minister’s decision on recognising the district to satisfy criteria of a new-style rural area.

Speaking at the ceremony, Secretary of the Yên Bái provincial Party Committee Trần Huy Tuấn acknowledged and warmly praised the efforts, dedication, and responsibility of generations of leaders, officials, and party members, people and business community of Văn Yên D in the development of the district.

At the same time, he recommended the Party Committee, administration, armed forces and people of all ethnic groups in the district to continue promoting the tradition of revolutionary heroes, the spirit of solidarity, the will to be self-reliant and the desire to rise, joining hands and unanimously building Văn Yên into a well-developed locality of the province, aiming to become a tier-4 urban area, one of the important satellite urban areas of the northern midlands and mountains region.

Embarking on building new rural areas in 2011, the communes of Văn Yên District only achieved an average of five criteria. Thanks to the drastic, synchronous and effective implementation of the National Target Programme to Build New-Style Rural Areas and many programmes and projects of the central, provincial and district administrations, Văn Yên has mobilised the entire political system to participate in building new rural areas with a total amount of over VNĐ5.7 trillion (US$240 million) to invest in upgrading infrastructure and perfecting criteria.

The face of the countryside in Văn Yên has seen many improvements, while infrastructure has been invested and upgraded and the cultural, social and spiritual life of the people has been improved. In particular, it has aroused the consensus of the entire rural community, creating the spread and promoting the strength of great solidarity, proactive and creative spirit of each individual and group. Hence, many new factors, many advanced examples, and good economic models have appeared in the district, contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of local people.

To date, all 24/24 communes of the district have met new rural-style standards, of which five communes have met advanced new rural-style standards. The district also completed 9/9 criteria according to the National Criteria Set for New Rural Districts for the period 2021 - 2025. With determination and outstanding efforts, Văn Yên reached the status of new-style rural district one year ahead of the Resolutions of the Provincial Party Congress and the District Party Congress. It is the only locality in the northern midland and mountainous region to be recognised as a new rural district in 2024. — VNS