Deeply imbued with the nation's cultural tradition of “When drinking water, remember its source” and “Paying debt of gratitude”, as well as the Party’s lines, Bac Ninh province has always identified the effective implementation of policies for war invalids, martyrs, people with meritorious services to the revolution, and military families as both a political task and a sacred obligation, practically contributing to cementing the people’s trust in the Party and State, building a firm “posture of people’s hearts and mind”, ensuring political and social stability for its rapid and sustainable development.

Bac Ninh is a land of outstanding people, long-standing culture, and glorious revolutionary history. During the struggle for national liberation and Fatherland protection, hundreds of thousands of young citizens of Bac Ninh volunteered to join the armed forces and serve in combat, devoting their youth and sacrificing their blood and lives for national independence and freedom.

Leaders of the Provincial Party Committee give presents to workers in difficult circumstance on Tet holiday

At present, within the province, there are over 120,000 policy beneficiaries and people with meritorious services to the revolution, including tens of thousands of war invalids, sick soldiers, martyrs’ relatives, and participants in resistance wars receiving regular allowances, together with 2,906 Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and 11,135 victims of Agent Orange. Bac Ninh is one of the localities with the largest number of policy beneficiaries in Military Region 1 and nationwide.

Seriously grasping and implementing the Party’s lines and the State’s policies and laws on policy work for war invalids, martyrs, people with meritorious services to the revolution, and military families, particularly Resolution 42-NQ/TW, dated 24 November 2023, by the 13^th Party Central Committee on continuing to reform and improve social policies to meet the requirements of national construction and defence in the new era, and the Ordinance on Preferential Treatment for People with Meritorious Services to the Revolution, over the years, the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People’s Council, and the Provincial People’s Committee have issued numerous documents to lead and direct departments, sectors, unions, and localities to step up propagation and education on the tradition of “When drinking water, remember its source” and build a strong contingent of officials in charge of policy work at all levels. Importance has been attached to promoting democracy and socialising the “Paying debt of gratitude” movement, mobilising all resources for this important and meaningful work.

Thanks to great political determination and appropriate measures, the province has achieved many positive results in policy work for war invalids, martyrs, people with meritorious services to the revolution, and military families. It has reviewed and completed dossiers, requesting competent agencies to submit those documents to the Prime Minister for the posthumous conferment of Fatherland’s Gratitude Certificates to 37,220 martyrs, issuing decisions granting war invalid certificates to 26,475 individuals and sick soldier certificates to 11,409 persons. The Provincial Military Command (PMC) has been directed to work with relevant agencies and local authorities to fully implement policies and entitlements for civilian frontline workers, youth volunteers, and those who participated in the wars for Fatherland protection and performed international missions under Prime Minister Decisions.

In implementing Decision 1515/QĐ-TTg, dated 14 September 2021, by the Prime Minister promulgating the “plan for searching, repatriating, and identifying martyrs’ remains with missing information to 2030 and beyond”, the province has reviewed and completed more than 37,220 martyr records to facilitate verification, area assessment, and the establishment of maps for the search and repatriation of martyrs’ remains.

Alongside these efforts, the province has regularly promoted gratitude activities, caring for people with meritorious services, giving lifelong care to Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, encouraging donations to the Gratitude Fund, supporting relatives of martyrs serving in the Military, giving assistance to care and rehabilitation centres for people with meritorious services, building gratitude houses, presenting savings books to disadvantaged beneficiaries. In the process, many effective models and innovative approaches have emerged from agencies, units, and localities, such as “100-dong house”, “businesses accompany demobilised soldiers”, “each commune provides support for one disadvantaged military family”, and “savings books of gratitude for military families”, contributing to creating employment opportunities, providing housing, improving the material and spiritual life of policy beneficiaries, cementing the people’s faith in the Party and State, building a firm “posture of people’s hearts and minds”, maintaining political and social stability for the province’s rapid and sustainable development.

Leaders of the PMC present policy beneficiaries with free medicines in Dai Son commune (photo: baobacninhtv.vn)

Implementing policies for war invalids, martyrs, people with meritorious services to the revolution, and military families is a major, deeply sacred task that directly affects the affection and sense of responsibility of every citizen. Fully aware of this, building on the achievements already attained as well as the cultural tradition of the Kinh Bac land, the province will continue to improve the quality and effectiveness of this important work. In the coming period, it will focus on leading and directing agencies, units, and localities to intensify propagation and education in order to raise awareness and a sense of responsibility among officials, party members, and people from all walks of life regarding policies for war invalids, martyrs, people with meritorious services to the revolution, and military families, thereby creating new progress in the implementation process and improving policy beneficiaries’ living standards. Party committees, authorities, departments, sectors, and unions will continue grasping and executing the Party’s viewpoints and lines, the State’s policies and laws, together with conclusions and directives issued by the Provincial Party Committee Standing Board, the Provincial People’s Council, and the Provincial People’s Committee concerning policies for war invalids, martyrs, and military families, and the “Paying debt of gratitude” movement. On that basis, they will review, supplement, and perfect action plans and programmes with scientific measures suited to local realities.

The Provincial Commission for Information, Education, and Mass Mobilisation will work with relevant agencies to direct the Provincial Newspaper - Radio - Television and the grass-roots broadcasting system to play an active, pioneering role in developing dedicated columns and programmes to disseminate new policies of the Party, the State, and the province for policy beneficiaries, thereby enabling all people with meritorious services and military families to fully understand these policies and proactively cooperate with authorities in the process. Press agencies will vividly, truthfully reflect exemplary war invalids and sick soldiers who, despite their disabilities, continue to make valuable contributions to society, while highlighting successful economic development models developed by veterans as well as noble deeds performed by citizens and businesses in the “Paying debt of gratitude” movement. Resources will be mobilised to preserve and upgrade revolutionary historical sites and “red addresses” across Kinh Bac - Bac Ninh, transform them into educational venues that foster revolutionary ideal and national pride among pupils and students, turn the values of gratitude into a natural sentiment and a guiding principle of life for every citizen, especially the youth.

In addition to stepping up communication and education and promoting the strength of the entire people, the province will closely integrate policy work with local socio-economic programmes to ensure sustainable, substantive development and resolutely prevent policy beneficiary families from falling back into poverty. Making full use of its socio-economic potential and advantages, the province will focus on directing competent agencies and the Management Board of Industrial Parks to play their role in giving advice on issuing incentive policies and creating the most favourable conditions for domestic and FDI enterprises to voluntarily contribute to the Gratitude Fund, undertake the lifelong care of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, and finance the construction of gratitude houses. It will establish a closed-loop human resource “order placement” mechanism between military agencies, vocational education institutions, and businesses in providing vocational training and employment for soldiers upon completion of their military service. It will also expand preferential credit programmes and simplify administrative procedures relating to concessional loans to assist veterans, demobilised soldiers, and relatives of martyrs in starting businesses and achieving legitimate prosperity.

The PMC gives presents to locals during the handover ceremony of the house of gratitude (photo: baobacninhtv.vn)

Given the large number of policy beneficiaries and the substantial budget required for regular allowances, the province will accelerate digital transformation to perform policy work in a transparent, timely, accurate manner. As an immediate priority, it will direct competent agencies, with the Department of Home Affairs and military agencies at all levels playing a leading role, to digitalise database on people with meritorious services and establish a synchronised, inter-connected database system from provincial to commune levels to closely monitor changes among policy beneficiaries. The payment of allowances and entitlements will be carried out through the banking system. Attention will be paid to enhancing the competence and sense of responsibility of officials engaged in policy work, improving their professionalism in task performance, stepping up administrative reform towards simplicity, accuracy, and efficiency, preventing bureaucracy and misconduct, and promptly resolving issues arising in the implementation of policies for people with meritorious services.

To ensure that policies are implemented for the correct beneficiaries, the province will strengthen inspection and supervision, strictly handle all violations committed during the implementation of policies for people with meritorious services, thereby guaranteeing fairness and the rule of law. It will promote the role of local party committees and authorities and enhance coordination among departments, sectors, agencies, units, and unions in realising directives at all levels concerning the collection of samples from the remains of unidentified martyrs buried in martyrs’ cemeteries for DNA analysis. This task is regarded as a sacred mission and a “command from the heart” for the entire Party, people, and armed forces, with resolve to successfully carry out the “500-day-and-night Campaign to accelerate the search, repatriation, and identification of martyrs’ remains” across the province, ensuring that no martyr is forgotten and that no martyr’s relatives are left waiting in vain.

With its cultural foundation, strong spirit of solidarity, and robust socio-economic potential, the Party Organisation, authorities, Military, and people of Bac Ninh province will continue to uphold unity and resolutely, comprehensively, creatively implement policies for war invalids, martyrs, people with meritorious services to the revolution, and military families as well as the “Paying debt of gratitude” movement in the new era. These efforts will help compensate for the sacrifices and losses endured by previous generations, nurture patriotism, and create strong motivation for today’s generations to join hands in building Kinh Bac - Bac Ninh into a comprehensively, sustainably developed province capable of making a worthy contribution to the cause of Fatherland construction and protection.

NGUYEN HONG THAI

Member of the Party Central Committee

Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee