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Chun'an closes in on income disparity gap

chinagate.cn by Ai Yang, March 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Chun'an County sees poverty alleviation and development the most important project concerning people's livelihood. In 2014, Chun'an raised the low-income threshold to 4,680 yuan. With price subsidies and other additional support measures, Chun'an already raised the low-income threshold to above 4,600 yuan per capita household annual income. In order to maintain the achievement, Chun'an decided to focus on increasing income for low-income farmers, reduce the income gap between rural and urban residents, and speed up development to catch up with the average provincial level.

Chun'an aimed to help every single farmer living below the poverty line. The county set up a mechanism to pinpoint responsibility according to regions. It required local authorities in townships and villages to pinpoint low-income farmers, dispatch instructors and first secretaries to villages to help those in need one on one. Local authorities were responsible for verifying, reporting, and applying for subsidies to township party committee and government as soon as they learnt of farmers’ problems and if accidents or diseases caused their poverty. The local government then would make sure to provide immediate assistance to those in urgent need.

In order to lead local resident to a well-off life, Chun'an County developed its education training, agricultural, tourism, processing, and forestry and fisheries industries. The five different industries ensured each town and village had a local specialty. In Xiajiang Village, Fengshuling Town, an education base was built to help the public cultivate a better understanding of the Party. In 2015, the base received 51,000 visits, a 128% increase compared to the same period last year. Some of the battles against Japanese aggression led by Chinese military and political leader Fang Zhimin used to take place at Xiashan Village, Zhongzhou Town. The village excavated the historic sites and built a memorial museum in memory of Fang. In 2015 alone before the site was completed, it attracted 42,000 tourists, which also helped promote local farm stay businesses.

Chun'an also focused on the development of green economy. It invested a total of 1.5 billion yuan to construct a 150-kilometer around-the-lake greenway and a 35 kilometer city greenway connecting parks, sightseeing stands, waterside terraces and public buildings. It formed a characteristic green network linking cities, tourist attractions, towns and villages and formed a themed travel route, which helped boost the development of rural tourism.

The County also invited companies to design and promote village tourism according to each's characteristics, while unoccupied villages and houses and other collective resources were used to develop village resorts, family hostels and inns so that villagers could thoroughly benefit from the economic achievement.