All levels of Party and government departments have been told to assist elderly and impoverished people during the New Year holidays by releasing insurance and special support funds for them.
According to a circular jointly released Wednesday by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the General Office of the State Council, Party and government organizations should put improving people’s livelihoods high up the agenda and take effective measures to solve their problems,
“People’s livelihoods in disaster-hit areas must be properly ensured. Central and local governments should send relief funds to deserved recipients in the full amount and guarantee their access to food, drinking water, clothes, living facilities, heating and medical care,” said the statement.
Meanwhile, the circular also urged provisions for the homeless in urban areas during the winter as well as assisting unemployed college graduates and disabled people in finding work.
According to the circular, law enforcement inspections will be launched on migrant workers’ payments to ensure they receive their money before the year-end.
This year’s New Year’s Day holiday will last three days, from Jan. 1 to 3. The Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on Feb. 10, 2013.
The circular said a large-scale safety campaign is also planned to spot and rectify potential risks in mining, fire control, traffic and other high-risk industries, with more efforts planned to curb crime.
The circular stressed the need for stable commodity prices, food and drug safety, quality cultural products and a sound environment for tourism during the two holidays.
In addition, the statement told Party and government officials to go into grassroots communities and listen to their concerns while avoiding luxurious entertainment.
Xinhua