The northern province of Bac Ninh has targeted the addition of 30 communes recognised as new-style rural areas within the year, according to a provincial leader.

Nguyen Nhan Chien, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Bac Ninh People’s Committee, said localities across the province will focus on prioritised criteria of the new-style rural building programme including those in transportation, healthcare, clean water supply and environmental sanitation.

The province will simultaneously speed up its agricultural, economic and rural labourer restructuring while raising local income, he said.

Efforts will be made to develop new rural culture, protect the environment and ensure social order in rural areas, said Chien, adding that communications should be improved to call for stronger local engagement in building new-style rural areas.

The provincial leader also revealed that local districts, towns and cities with three recognised new-style rural area communes will receive rewards of up to 500 million VND (23,150 USD) as an encouragement.

At the end of the first quarter this year, Bac Ninh had 7 communes fulfilling all 19 criteria of the programme, 30 communes completing 18 criteria and 57 others reaching 10-14 criteria.

All local communes have completed the criteria on planning, rural electricity, post offices, housing, education, irrigation, employment and production models.-VNA