The Central Highlands province of Dak Nong has decided to allocate 50 billion VND (2.35 million USD) from its budget to a rural transport and an irrigation system development programme.

According to the provincial People’s Committee, the programme will focus mainly on upgrading roads in poor districts and villages that are home to residents from ethnic groups.

These districts will get 4-9 billion VND each. The poorest ones, Dak Mil and Krong No, will receive the largest amount, the committee added.

Key roads in each village are expected to be asphalted with a length of 1.5 kilometres and a width of 3 metres.

Dak Nong province is home to 40 ethnic minority groups living in 169 villages and hamlets in 8 districts and towns. The locality has so far asphalted and concretised 50 percent of trans-village roads.

The province wishes to get all rural roads concretised by 2015, as part of the targets included in the programme of building new style of rural areas.-VNA