Construction work is underway to bring the national power grid to rural areas.

In the atmosphere filled with the spirit of spring, Mr. Luong Van Tuoi, Party Secretary and Head of Tong Han village, shared with us: "The village has 94 households. This Lunar New Year, the group of 30 households living in the highlands will have access to the national power grid, and the villagers are very excited. We hope the government will continue to invest in improving and upgrading the road so that the people can confidently develop their economy."

How could we not be happy? As we welcome the new year, in addition to the 30 households in Tong Han village, the entire province now has 6,603 households, mainly in remote, mountainous, border, and particularly disadvantaged areas, connected to the national power grid. This is the result of the province's decisive efforts and leadership, the involvement of relevant agencies, local authorities, and the Son La Power Company in implementing the policy of bringing the national power grid to rural areas of the province.

Mr. Cam Van Khiem, 85 years old and a Party member for 65 years, residing in Tan Hop village, Na Nghiu commune, Song Ma district, still can't believe the national power grid has reached his home. Mr. Khiem said: "The village has nearly 200 households, but most are located in the lowlands along National Highway 4G. The group of 17 households high up in the mountains have been without electricity for 30 years, and the road up is steep and unpaved, making life very difficult. Thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, the villagers were overjoyed when the national power grid arrived in the village. Every household contributed money to buy a large cow to slaughter and celebrate."

Bringing the national power grid to rural areas is a major policy that the Party and Government pay special attention to, aiming to create a breakthrough in achieving the goals of agricultural industrialization, rural modernization, poverty reduction, and ensuring social security. In implementing the Rural Electrification Project from the National Grid, in 2024, our province allocated 191 billion VND from the budget. Of this, the sub-project for rural electrification from the national grid, managed by the Department of Industry and Trade, received nearly 80 billion VND; projects managed by the districts received over 105 billion VND; and the Electricity sector invested 6.5 billion VND in developing new meters.

To ensure the project's timely implementation, the Provincial Steering Committee for the Rural Electrification Program directed relevant departments and districts/cities to coordinate with the electricity sector to review and assess the implementation progress. Simultaneously, they integrated funding from national target programs and balanced other budget sources to implement sub-projects for rural electrification from the national grid to villages without electricity and to upgrade electricity for households using unsafe electricity. Localities in the province mobilized other funding sources to implement 23 projects, totaling over 78 billion VND, providing electricity to 2,057 households. In addition, the Project for Resettlement of Residents in Disaster-Affected Areas allocated funds to implement 11 projects, providing electricity to 415 households in disaster-affected areas within the province.

In addition, the districts have directed communes and villages to propagate and mobilize people to donate land, clear the site, and create favorable conditions for contractors during the construction process. However, because most of the projects are implemented in complex terrain, especially during the rainy season, transporting power poles, materials, and supplies is extremely difficult. Mr. Dinh Khac Nhat, Director of Phuc Thinh Tay Bac Co., Ltd., the contractor for several projects in Song Ma and Bac Yen districts, shared: "The company regularly receives attention from the investor and local authorities, so many difficulties and obstacles are resolved promptly. In particular, the support of the people in the villages helps the company arrange accommodation, and store materials and equipment, so the construction progress and electricity supply to each household are ensured according to the investor's plan."

Upholding the responsibility for the lives of ethnic minorities, "Leaving no one behind," with the decisive involvement of all levels of government, investors, and the spirit and responsibility of the electricity sector, in 2024, the entire province completed the new electricity connection for 6,603 households, raising the percentage of households using the national power grid to 99.5%, and upgraded safe electricity for 3,878 households, with the percentage of households using safe electricity for daily life reaching 96.9%.

Celebrating the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake, the village in the highlands was illuminated by the national power grid. The light of the Party brings the vitality of spring, filling the people with joy and excitement, providing motivation and confidence to unite and build a prosperous, happy, and hopeful life.

Source: Son La Newspaper