LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND

May 12 is one of the most memorable days for the residents in Atulier village, Zhiermo township, Zhaojue county, Liangshan prefecture in Northwest China's Sichuan province. The Niujue village group at the foot of the mountain began moving into a new settlement in the county town center, and the next day, the Leer and Tertu groups who live on the mountain also began their relocation.

From 2017 until this year, our reporters witnessed the changes of five ordinary villagers in the Leer village group. They did not rely entirely on government policies, and they are active in growing olives, brewing glutinous rice wine, opening village stores, and setting up live webcast. Through their hard work they build up their family fortunes, and their livelihood has improved significantly in the past three years.

The resettlement site is located in Gudu and Puti villages, Chengbei township near the county town center. It is by far the largest resettlement area for poverty alleviation and relocation project in Sichuan province. The relocated people come from 92 remote mountain villages in 28 townships of Zhaojue county, and the relocation has been completed within five days.

During the relocation, the county government set up a cargo loading service team for low-income households, and made proper arrangements for the elderly and the disabled to ensure that they can move into their new house in time and safely.

All the houses in the resettlement site have passed the completion criteria and met the building standards. They are safe houses with qualified engineering quality. All the houses have access to water and electricity to meet the basic living requirements of the relocated villagers.

In order to provide everyone with basic living necessities when moving into their new house, the local government also purchased beddings, water heaters, tables and chairs.

The county has also contacted reliable retail enterprises to temporarily set up merchandise sales offices within the resettlement site, selling quality-guaranteed necessities at preferential prices, and organized more than 200 volunteers to provide services to lowincome households for guidance and training on the use of related facilities.

In Zhaomei community, the No 2 settlement area, 36 building there adopt a style that combines modern and Yi ethnic characteristics. The new community is equipped with a community centers, kindergarten, hospital, and recreational facilities including a central garden. Fitness facilities are set up in different corners.

The relocated low-income households at the four resettlement sites in Zhaojue county all come from remote mountain villages. They have been living deep in the mountains for generations, and the relocation suggests a tremendous change of their living habits.

Prior to the relocation, the local government had conducted safety education and occupancy training for the relocated villagers. In the coming days, they will also hold various trainings on water, electricity, fire safety and environmental sanitation to help them better adapt to the new living environment.

The county has also issued a series of measures on follow-up industrial development planning and incentives to improve the livelihood of the people. The priority is placed on developing and integrating the original production materials and resources to foster large-scale farms and vegetable bases.

In the meantime, a new policy tailored to the villagers' traditional breeding habit will be pushed forward, and they can take turns to develop animal husbandry to guarantee their basic income and security.

In addition, more than 10 industrial parks are under construction around the new resettlement sites. The development of the industry can provide a large part of employment opportunities, and with the help of various labor export platforms, villagers can benefit from modern agricultural training. At present, 3,000 to 5,000 public welfare posts have been created in Zhaojue county to facilitate their employment.

The implementation project has instilled new hope and confidence into the heart of the villagers.