Red flag flying atop the pole and magnificent building standing under the blue sky. This seems like, but not in Beijing. Well, another “corruption building,” as we may call it. From Xinhua, translated by CDT (photos: cadres’ residential complex, central, and farmers’ village, right, via Xinhua):
Puyang County (濮阳县), a known poor locality in northeastern Henan Province with more than 100,000 not having enough to eat and dress, has a shining building, where the county party branch and government call their office. The construction started in the fall of 2002 with a budget price tag of 9.75 million yuan. Two years later, the project cost more than three times of its original budget. Now the government still owes 1.34 million yuan in construction contract payments.
Soon, other local government agencies followed the example of county leadership. Villas were built for officials and cadres, with the biggest unit having a floor area of 600 square meters. County party discipline inspection committee, supposedly an anti-corruption watchdog, land resources bureau, social security bureau, etc. all put up their office buildings or residential upgrades. [Full Text in Chinese]
