Chongqing, southwest China's largest municipality, plans to relocate 400,000 rural residents -- 120,000 households -- living under the poverty line, out of impoverished mountain areas in an unprecedented anti-poverty program.

People who will be relocated mainly fit within the following three categories: those living in high and cold remote mountainous regions with harsh climates and barren land; households that are far from towns and transportation; and those living in regions where natural disasters are frequent and diseases often break out.

Located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing covers an area of 82,400 square kilometers with a population of 31 million. For hundreds of years, transportation has remained one of the primary obstacles to development of the region: its surrounding area is mountainous, with precipitous slopes and deep canyons.

"It will cost a lot for the government to help people in these regions in the traditional way, which usually refers to building roads and providing electricity," Zhang Zhenggang, a Chongqing government official, told China Daily.

"It would be better to relocate them to places with a better natural environment and topographical conditions. The cost of relocation may also be very high, but in a long-term view, this way is more economical and is conducive to the sustainable development of the region," he added.

One of the most important industrial bases in Sichuan Province, Chongqing was administratively detached from Sichuan Province in 1997 and promoted to the status of municipality directly under the jurisdiction of the central authorities, like Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai.

The 400,000 people will be relocated gradually. The first three-year phase began this year, with 10,000 households scheduled to be moved by 2006.

The first 3,000 households should be relocated before Spring Festival, which falls on February 8 next year. Further large-scale relocations may be carried out after the first phase, Zhang said. The municipal government has earmarked special funds for the relocation.

"One of the biggest difficulties the migrants are facing is the housing problem. Each household will be given an allowance of 15,000 yuan (US$1,800) to help them settle down in new places," he said.

A total of 150 million yuan (US$18 million) will be needed for the relocation of 10,000 households in the first three years.

Each household will also get at least half a hectare of arable land to help them earn a living in the new places, according to Zhang.

Some villages will be wholly relocated to places in accordance with the arrangement of the local government, usually to suburbs of towns, fertile land at the foot of mountains or around river valleys.

Local governments are required to prepare to accept the relocatees and to provide fast and preferential service to them. Those who move to towns and have legal residences, steady jobs and income can be registered as permanent urban residents if they choose.

Migrants unable to work and without offspring or regular income will be sent to residential nursing facilities.

The municipality called for governments at all levels to work together to assist the relocated families.

(China Daily October 11, 2004)