Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) held a meeting on August 29 to review a pilot project selecting 600excellent young intellectuals to work as vice chairs of the communal People’sCommittees in 64 poor districts nationwide.

MoHA Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong Thua said inearly October 2012, his ministry finished selecting 580 young persons withuniversity diplomas for the project, which has been carried out in 20provinces.

They have made active contributions to buildingclean and strong grassroots political systems and directly engaging in localsocio-economic development tasks, he noted, adding that the project has alsohelped fine-tune mechanisms and policies on discovering, selecting and trainingyoung officials in Vietnam.

Over the last five years, 351 project membershave proactively suggested and directly carried out 834 socio-economicdevelopment programmes, plans and projects.

Thua cited a Ngoc Linh ginseng farming modelinitiated by Vice Chairman of the Tra Linh communal People’s Committee DinhHong Thang in Quang Nam province, saying this model has helped local residentsescape from poverty. Meanwhile, a plan on building clean water supply systemimplemented by Vice Chairman of the Ba Dien communal People’s Committee NguyenAnh Khoa in Quang Ngai province has helped curb skin diseases in the locality.

Those programmes, plans and projects have helpedraise local people’s income and awareness of socio-economic development, customchanges and cultural preservation, the official added.

As of June 30 this year, 564 project members hadbeen qualified for continuing the task after the project expires, but four ofthem did not want to continue working in the localities they used to serve.

Up to 217 project members (or 38.7 percent) havebeen appointed as communal civil servants while 13 (2.3 percent) have beenpromoted to chairpersons of the communal People’s Committees. Seventeen members(3 percent) have been elected chairpersons of the communal women’s unions,Vietnam Fatherland Front committees and youth union committees. Sixty-eightothers (12.1 percent) continue to serve as vice chairs of the communal People’sCommittees. 

Another 148 project members in 26 districts ofnine provinces haven’t been appointed to any positions, Thua said.

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime MinisterTruong Hoa Binh affirmed that the Party has consistently attached importance tothe role of the youth. The project of 600 communal vice chairs shows the Partyand Government’s trust in the young generation.

He recognised the project members’ excellentperformance in fulfilling assigned tasks, adding that the project has alsocreated a chance for young intellectuals to improve themselves.

He also pointed out certain shortcomings,including local administration’s lack of awareness of the project members’ roleand long-term preparation of personnel for their localities.

The Deputy PM asked the beneficiary localitiesto better use the young intellectuals after the project is over while workingto encourage young people’s dedication.

At the event, the MoHA presented meritcertificates to 16 collectives and 88 persons with eminent performance in theproject implementation.-VNA