Guizhou Farmers Move from Dwelling Caves to Brick-wood Houses

Altogether, 650 impoverished farming households of cave-dwellers in Guizhou have finally had their own brick-wood houses. This constitutes a phased achievement gained in the poverty-relief work of moving poor farmers out of caves.

Farmers in poverty-stricken areas have lived in caves for a long time, this brings great difficulties in getting themselves out of poverty. Statistics show that by the end of 1999, there were 9,700 farmers in 2,892 poor households still living in caves in the province.

Early this year, the Guizhou provincial Party committee and government listed the poverty-relief work of moving poor farmers out of caves as one of the 10 practical good things" to be done this year, the local government has successfully allocated work-relief funds to the tune of 30 million yuan for the construction of brick-wood, stone-wood, and wooden houses in line with the principle of "making arrangements locally for farmer households on a voluntary basis".

Up till now, the province has started construction of houses for moving 1,924 households out of caves, accounting for 66.5 percent of farming household planned to be moved out. Now houses totaling 23,071 square meters for 650 households have been completed, fulfilling 22.5 percent of the plan for the total household to be moved out. It is reported that the task of moving farmers out of dwelling caves is expected to be fulfilled by the end of this year.

People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/