More efforts required to help isolated villages

SCHOOLCHILDREN have to use a rattan ladder to scale an 800-meter cliff to reach their homes in an isolated village at the top of a mountain in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Southwest China's Sichuan province. Beijing News commented on Thursday:

It is always difficult for impoverished residents in remote locations to enjoy the dividends of local poverty-alleviation efforts. However, in Liangshan's case, the local government should not rush to move all villagers either, as their living conditions are basically satisfactory except for their geographical isolation that makes it difficult for them to get medical treatment and for the children to go to school.

Building roads would be a more feasible solution to their inaccessibility. But it will cost about 60 million yuan ($9 million) to connect the aforementioned village and two other remote villages, with the isolated farmers suffering to make ends meet unlikely to pitch in.