booktalesy Chapter 427 The Cries of the People
Chapter 427 The Cries of the People
Wu Zhiyuan negotiated the project and did the work, but now Liang Dongming wants to be the team leader and take all the credit.
This wasn't the first time Liang Dongming had picked peaches.
Some people scramble for benefits but desperately shirk responsibilities.
"Great, with Secretary Liang personally taking charge, I feel even more confident," Wu Zhiyuan readily agreed.
Liang Dongming was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting Wu Zhiyuan to agree so readily.
He had thought that Wu Zhiyuan would try to negotiate on this issue, since Wu Zhiyuan had been running the project from beginning to end, and Zhou Qiming recognized him as Wu Zhiyuan.
"Alright, it's settled then. I'll have Deng Haidong draft the documents for the leading group as soon as possible, and your task force should get things running smoothly as well."
This project can only succeed; it cannot fail.
Don't worry, Secretary Liang, I will do my best.
Wu Zhiyuan wasn't afraid of Liang Dongming reaping the rewards; what he feared was Liang Dongming tripping him up, setting obstacles, and hindering him from behind.
If the county party secretary doesn't approve, doesn't support, or even secretly obstructs a project with an investment of 800 million yuan and 2,000 jobs, even if Wu Zhiyuan had three heads and six arms, it would be very difficult to push it through.
Wu Zhiyuan has learned a lesson from this.
When Zhang Ping was serving as the Party Secretary of Xindian Town in Qingshan County, he tried to persuade Wei Guochun to invest in the Qingshan Gorge tourism project again. However, Zhang Ping colluded with Chen Junqiang and others to sabotage the project behind the scenes, causing Wei Guochun to feel deeply worried about the business environment in Qingshan County, which led to the temporary suspension of the project investment.
Now, Liang Dongming has volunteered to be the team leader and take charge personally, which means he has included this project in the county party committee's "number one project".
With this banner in place, which department would dare to delay land acquisition, approvals, or supporting infrastructure? Which link would dare to obstruct progress?
As for who deserves the credit, Wu Zhiyuan doesn't care.
What he cares about is whether the project can be implemented, whether the local people can find jobs near their homes, and whether Qingyan's industrial foundation can be truly established.
Just like that symposium in Shahe Town, the people have their own scales in their hearts. They can see clearly who is doing the work and who is reaping the benefits.
Of course, Wu Zhiyuan was also well aware that in most cases, whether or not someone could be promoted depended not on the opinions of ordinary people, but on the opinions of their superiors.
Even if the common people say it's a beautiful flower, if the higher-ups don't know or approve of it, it's all for nothing.
Conversely, even if the common people do not approve, but the superiors do, one can still be promoted and given important responsibilities.
This is precisely why people like Liang Dongming can thrive.
Wu Zhiyuan didn't care about whether he could get promoted; what he cared about was whether he could do more practical and good things for the people.
……
Like other counties, Qingyan County has set up a day for leaders to receive visitors. County leaders spend about half a day each month receiving visitors according to a schedule.
The leaders' reception day is held in the lobby on the first floor of the county's petition office.
When Wu Zhiyuan and Lü Xinghua arrived at the Petition Bureau, Director Sun Liancheng was already waiting at the door.
"County Chief Wu, we have already made a preliminary registration of the visitors today. There are currently more than a dozen people in line, and the issues they raised cover a variety of areas, including land acquisition and demolition, environmental pollution, labor disputes, and criminal cases," Sun Liancheng reported as he walked.
"Are there any particularly complicated ones?"
"There's a complaint about pollution in the Shicao River, which involves a wide range of areas, including several townships and businesses in neighboring counties. We've forwarded it to the authorities several times before, but the results haven't been ideal."
"Lost at Caohe?"
"Yes, the Shicao River is one of the main rivers in our county, bordering Jiangdong City. In recent years, the pollution has become increasingly serious, and the people along the river have a lot of complaints."
The problem is also complex because the upstream areas are in other counties and districts, and upstream polluting companies are illegally discharging pollutants without taking action. Simply treating the Qingyan section is neither a fundamental solution nor a temporary fix.
Wu Zhiyuan didn't say much and went straight into the reception room.
The reception room was small, with a long table and three chairs. On the table were a registration form and a bottle of mineral water.
Wu Zhiyuan sat on one side of the long table, while Sun Liancheng and Lü Xinghua sat on either side taking notes.
The first person to enter was a farmer in his fifties, a villager from Liuzhuang Village along the Shicao River.
"County Chief Wu, I'm here today to report the pollution problem of the Shicao River."
Our Liuzhuang Village is located right on the banks of the Shicao River. For generations, we've drunk the river water and farmed the land along its banks.
But in recent years, the river water has become increasingly murky and smelly, and now we don't even dare to use it for irrigation.
Wu Zhiyuan asked, "What caused the pollution?"
"There are many reasons. There are paper mills and chemical plants upstream, and their wastewater is discharged directly into the river. Sometimes the river water is black and covered with white foam."
There are also chemical plants, pig farms, and chicken farms on both sides of the river in Qingyan, and their sewage is discharged directly into the river.
In summer, a layer of oil floats on the river, flies and mosquitoes swarm everywhere, and the stench can be smelled for miles.
In recent years, the number of people getting cancer or strange diseases in our village has increased several times more than before.
Everyone says it's a problem with the river. We've contacted the environmental protection bureau and the county government.
The environmental protection bureau came to inspect, and the company stopped production when they inspected, but resumed discharging pollutants after the inspection.
We have petitioned before, saying that the pollution is not just a problem in Qingyan County, but also involves other counties, making it difficult to coordinate.
This matter dragged on for several years without any progress.
As Wu Zhiyuan listened, he took notes: "Besides upstream out-of-town companies, how many polluting companies are there along the Qingyan section of the river?"
"There is a chemical plant, a paper mill, two pig farms, and a chicken farm near our village."
Sun Liancheng added in a low voice, "County Chief Wu, the Shicao River is a cross-city river. Its upper reaches are within the territory of Jiangdong City, and its lower reaches pass through our Qingyan."
With pollution sources on both sides overlapping, the difficulty of pollution control is indeed very high.
Moreover, we have no jurisdiction over the companies in Jiangdong City; we can only send letters to coordinate. However, due to local protectionism, they turn a blind eye, and sending letters doesn't solve the fundamental problem.
Wu Zhiyuan said firmly, "If sending a letter doesn't work, then we'll report it to higher authorities! The Provincial Environmental Protection Department can handle them!"
He looked at the petitioning villagers and said, "I have noted down the issues you raised. I will personally look into this matter, investigate what needs to be investigated, detain those who need to be detained, and report what needs to be reported."
Go back and tell the villagers that the county government won't ignore this."
The villager said with some skepticism, "County Chief Wu, I've heard this story several times before."
A leader said the same thing last time, and almost a year has passed, and the river is still the same.
Wu Zhiyuan wasn't angry; instead, he smiled and said, "I understand that you don't trust me. But you can go back and make a mark, like taking a picture by the river and saving the date."
Take another picture three months later and compare them.
If nothing changes, come back to me, and I'll apologize to you in person.
After the petitioning villagers left, Sun Liancheng said in a low voice, "County Chief Wu, the problem of the Shicao River is indeed quite complicated."
There are more than a dozen polluting companies along the coast, some of which are major taxpayers in the county, so there is considerable resistance to shutting them down.
Moreover, some companies, although located within our county, are registered elsewhere, leading to disputes over jurisdiction for environmental law enforcement.
The most troublesome ones are those companies upstream of Jiangdong City; they simply don't connect with us.
"We can't give up just because it's difficult. The fact that ordinary people can't drink clean water and can't grow crops is the biggest problem of all."
After today's meeting, please have the heads of the Environmental Protection Bureau and the Water Resources Bureau come to my office.
Sun Liancheng nodded quickly.
The second person to enter was a middle-aged man, a villager from Hejiagou Village along the Shicao River.
"County Chief Wu, I want to report the problem of illegal sand mining."
The section of the Shicao River near our village has been riddled with holes in its riverbed over the past few years.
The river used to be tens of meters wide, and the water could reach chest height.
The riverbed is now riddled with potholes, with deep pits everywhere, the deepest of which are four or five meters deep.
Some river embankments have been affected. We're worried that if there's a flood, the embankments might collapse, and we'll suffer huge losses.
Wu Zhiyuan asked, "Who's digging?"
"County Chief Wu, we know a little about this, but we dare not say. You will find out if you investigate."
Wu Zhiyuan encouraged him, "Don't be afraid, we'll keep it a secret for you."
The middle-aged man then lowered his voice and said, "Yuan Xiaowu. He's a gangster with twenty or thirty men under his command, all of them reckless fighters, many of them ex-convicts."
The section of the river in Qingyan is his territory. Anyone who dares to report him will be beaten.
At the beginning of the year, I reported the sand mining issue to the town, and that night I was attacked with a club. I suspect it was Yuan Xiaowu's men who did it.
I also called the police, but they couldn't find the culprit, saying there were no surveillance cameras in the area. The matter was eventually dropped.
Lu Xinghua whispered from the side, "County Chief Wu, Yuan Xiaowu is a very well-known person. He was involved in the underworld when he was young and went to jail for raping women."
After being released from prison, he showed no remorse and instead boasted that he had graduated from university.
In recent years, he has been illegally mining sand in several villages along the Shicao River, reaping astonishing profits. He also runs a nightclub in the county town and has other businesses.
Wu Zhiyuan asked, "Are the profits from illegal sand mining very high?"
Lu Xinghua said, "A medium-sized sand dredger can dredge at least five or six hundred cubic meters of sand in one night, assuming it works for ten hours."
At 100 yuan per boat, the gross income of a boat in one night is 50,000 to 60,000 yuan.
"It's possible to make tens of millions a year by owning a few boats."
Since it was at the petition office, Wu Zhiyuan didn't ask any further questions.
He knew that Yuan Xiaowu's rampant sand mining must be protected by a powerful figure behind him.
Wu Zhiyuan said, "I understand the situation you reported, and I appreciate your courage."
Illegal sand mining damages river channels and threatens the lives and property of the people. The county party committee and county government will definitely investigate and deal with it in accordance with the law.
You should also pay attention to your own safety. If there are any new developments, you can report them to us through the petition office or other channels.
Wu Zhiyuan wrote down the middle-aged man's contact information and gave him his own.
The third person to enter was a middle-aged woman.
She looked haggard, with red and swollen eyes, and knelt down on the ground with a "thud" as soon as she entered the door.
Wu Zhiyuan quickly stood up, went around the table, and helped her up: "Sister, don't do this, let's talk this out."
The middle-aged woman was helped to sit down on a chair, tears streaming down her face.
Her name is Li Qiaozhen, and she is from Chengguan Town.
"County Chief Wu, my daughter's name is Zhao Xiaoyu. She is nineteen years old this year. She graduated from high school last year but failed to get into university, so she works at a hotel in the county town."
Li Qiaozhen cried as she spoke, "One night a few months ago, she didn't go home after get off work, and her phone was unreachable."
We searched every corner of the county and asked all her colleagues and friends, but we still had no news.
Wu Zhiyuan asked gravely, "Have you reported it to the police?"
"I reported it. The police have opened a case and are investigating, but after several months, there have been no results."
County Magistrate Wu, my daughter has vanished without a trace, neither alive nor dead.
She is my only child. Her father passed away early, and it was just the two of us, mother and daughter, who depended on each other for survival.
If anything happens to her, I won't be able to live either.
Sun Liancheng whispered to her, "County Chief Wu, this isn't the first time Sister Li has petitioned."
The county public security bureau's criminal investigation team is also investigating, but they haven't found anything conclusive.
After a moment of contemplation, Wu Zhiyuan said to Li Qiaozhen, "Sister, don't worry, I will urge the Public Security Bureau to intensify its investigation into this matter."
Li Qiaozhen wiped away her tears and said, "County Magistrate Wu, I've heard you're a good official."
You must help me find Xiaoyu, she's my only child...
Wu Zhiyuan felt a pang of sadness and said solemnly, "Big sister, I will do my best. Please take care of yourself when you get back."
Li Qiaozhen left, expressing her deepest gratitude.