March 6,2020 -- Another 31 counties in northwest China’s Gansu province were taken off from the list of poverty counties, according to a press conference held Tuesday by Gnsu’s information office.

 

So far, a total of 67 counties in the province have been delisted. The newly added counties are mainly located in old revolutionary base areas, minority-inhabited areas, and areas with harsh natural conditions.

 

The province still has an impoverished population of 175,000. The outbreak of coronovirus has put a strain on the already challenging task of poverty alleviation. For those who just got out of poverty, there is still a potential risk of sliding back to poverty.

 

The poverty reduction policies for the delisted counties will continue for a period.

 

In the past five years during the 13th Five-year Plan period, a total of 499,000 indigent people  have been relocated to new houses as part of the government’s plan to eradicate poverty. Zhai Jianjun, deputy director of the provincial commission for development and reform, said that Gansu will keep close track of the employment situations of those relocated households to see if further help is needed. The province will also encourage the Farmer Specialized Cooperatives and leading enterprises to play a role in increasing their incomes.