A model of new rural areas, where the central role of the people is upheld in every activity they participate in, is taking shape thanks to a pilot programme to be carried out in 11 communes nationwide since 2009.

The programme’s initial outcomes were reviewed in Hanoi on Jan. 22 at the programme Steering Board’s meeting, which also launched tasks for this year with the aim of building the new rural model in reality and drawing experiences for deploying the model nationwide.

According to the Steering Committee, 11 communes benefiting from the pilot project have seen improvements in a wide range of areas, including income, economic restructure, labour structure and production.

In these projected communes, fundamental infrastructure has been improved remarkably and production has been boosted. More attention was given to cultural and social affairs and environmental protection. Political system was strengthened, personnel work was enhanced, and security was maintained.

Several communes have built models pertaining to developing production for higher income, mobilizing all resources for development, and establishing the production connectivity between farmers and business, and others that have caught interests of other localities, the committee said.

Politburo member and Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Truong Tan Sang praised endeavours made by agencies, communes and those involved in the pilot programme.

As the Head of the Steering Board for the pilot programme, Sang asked the agencies involved to continue disseminating information on the programme’s requirements and goals, especially to the people in the 11 target communes and instructed localities to prioritise target programmes in these communes./.