DakLak (VNA) - Localities in the Central and Central Highlands regions havebeen allocated over 718 trillion VND (nearly31.1 billion USD) under the Programme 135 in2018, according to Nguyen Xuan Duc, head of theDepartment of Locality II under the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs.
The regions’ localities are coordinating with relevant departments andsectors to approve a list of projects to be funded, while conducting the constructionof hundreds of infrastructure projects related to transport, electricity,irrigation, and schools in disadvantaged areas, Duc said.
Lam Dong province reported the highest rate of disbursement for building infrastructurefacilities in extremely disadvantaged communesand villages in the first half of 2018, reaching 62 percent of the set plan.
Poor households in the regions have also been provided with free seeds, animal breed and agricultural materials; offeredtraining courses on agriculture and forestry development; and supported withbuilding production development models, thus improving the income for regionalresidents and promoting poverty reduction.
Duc said the effort to reduce the poverty rate in ethnic minorities andmountainous areas has shown substantial results,with the average rate of poor households in these regions now down to 14.4percent.
The Programme 135 launched in 1999, aims toimprove living conditions for rural residents with a particular focus on ethnicminority communities.
A total of 2,139 extremely disadvantaged andborder communes in 46 provinces nationwide were listed as eligible for supportfrom the Programme 135 for the 2017-2020 period.
Tenprovinces in the Central and Central Highlands regions– Quang Nam, Quang Ngai,Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and LamDong report a total of 373 extremelydisadvantaged and border communes. -VNA