Hundred Acres of Permanent Basic Farmland Illegally Converted to Landscape Turf, Local Authorities Respond After Provincial Party Secretary’s Secret Visit
After Hunan’s Provincial Party Secretary Conducted an Unannounced Visit to Inspect “Non-Grain Cultivation” in Basic Farmland, Local Authorities Made Further Rectification Plans.
On November 29, Xia Shengli, Deputy Secretary of the Yanling County Party Committee and County Mayor, presided over a meeting of county leaders, emphasizing the need to earnestly implement the instructions from Provincial Party Secretary Shen Xiaoming’s research visit to Yanling. The meeting stressed the importance of shouldering responsibilities and missions, acting with a sense of purpose, and balancing the two major tasks of development and safety. It urged a comprehensive review and rectification of issues such as “non-agricultural use of farmland” and “non-grain cultivation in basic farmland,” learning from one instance to infer about others.
Xia Shengli emphasized the need to elevate perspectives, establish a bottom-line mindset, strengthen management and enforcement, firmly uphold the bottom line and red line for farmland protection, and resolutely rectify the issue of illegal conversion of basic farmland in Xiayang Town for the cultivation of ornamental turf. Learning from this example, comprehensive efforts should be made to strengthen the investigation and governance of “non-agricultural use of farmland” and “non-grain cultivation in basic farmland.”
Earlier, from November 26 to 27, Hunan Provincial Party Secretary Shen Xiaoming conducted research on economic and social development in Zhuzhou and presided over a symposium. According to Hunan Daily, during the research, Shen also conducted an unannounced visit to inspect the issue of illegal conversion of hundreds of acres of permanent basic farmland in Tianping Village, Xiayang Town, Yanling County, for the cultivation of ornamental turf. He stressed the need to learn from this example and comprehensively carry out investigation and rectification of “non-agricultural use of farmland” and “non-grain cultivation in basic farmland” across the province, strengthening dynamic monitoring and supervision, and firmly upholding the red line for farmland protection and the bottom line for food security.
Pengpai News noted that on April 19 of this year, the Yanling County People’s Procuratorate held a consultation symposium and a public hearing on a case where green turf and seedlings were planted on part of the farmland in Xiayang Town, leading to “non-grain cultivation” and “non-agricultural use,” causing damage to the cultivated soil layer and potentially harming national interests. It was reported that through the “Double Advancement and Double Promotion” activity and the “Public Welfare at Heart” platform, the Yanling County Procuratorate collected case clues regarding large-scale cultivation of turf on farmland in villages such as Jiantianzhou within the county’s jurisdiction, causing land resource damage. The procuratorate immediately launched an investigation, and through on-site visits and verifications, confirmed that multiple farmers had illegally cultivated or rented out their basic farmland to others for the cultivation of turf, seedlings, and other “non-grain” and “non-agricultural” uses.
At the hearing, the Yanling County Procuratorate comprehensively explained the basic facts of the case, supervisory reasons, and legal basis. Representatives from relevant functional units spoke based on their respective responsibilities and performance, responding to questions raised by the hearing participants. After deliberation, the hearing participants agreed that no entity should illegally occupy farmland or cross the red line for farmland protection. They unanimously agreed that the procuratorial organization should issue procuratorial suggestions to relevant functional departments, urging them to fulfill their responsibilities for farmland protection and management in accordance with the law. Representatives from relevant functional units expressed their willingness to actively coordinate and cooperate, fulfilling their duties for farmland protection and management.
Following Shen Xiaoming’s unannounced visit to Xiayang Town, Yanling County, on November 28, the Zhuzhou Municipal Party Committee Standing Committee (Expanded) Meeting was held to convey and study the spirit of Shen’s instructions during his research visit to Zhuzhou and to discuss implementation opinions. The meeting emphasized the need to learn from one instance to infer about others, comprehensively strengthen the investigation and rectification of “non-agricultural use of farmland” and “non-grain cultivation in basic farmland,” and firmly uphold the red line for farmland protection and the bottom line for food security.
