Our region has accumulated extensive experience in the activities of local self-government bodies in creating the necessary conditions for the livelihoods of the rural population. It is no coincidence that an on-site meeting of the Council for Interaction of Local Self-Government Bodies under the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus was held in Lepel on this pressing issue. At the beginning of the meeting, a documentary film was shown about the social, economic and cultural development of the district and its people.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Council of the Republic, Chairman of the Council for Interaction of Local Self-Government Bodies under the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, Anatoly Rubinov, emphasized the exceptionally important role of local authorities in meeting the primary needs of the population. These include employment, crime and alcoholism prevention, improvement of settlements, development of the social sphere and healthcare, and other aspects of the daily activities of authorities and self-government bodies. Everything that concerns people is the concern of local authorities in rural areas, an indicator of their effectiveness. The main value of our state is the human being.
The speech by the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Kosinets, was interesting, precise, and rich in analysis and reasoning. He informed the attendees about the socio-economic development of the Vitebsk region. One of the most pressing problems for the region was identified as the disparity in prices and wages with the border regions of the Russian Federation, which results in the outflow of personnel and the export of goods. These negative trends can and must be stopped. Economic entities of all forms of ownership are obliged to substantively and daily engage in the economically justified increase of wages and ensure the growth of the population's income.
Subsequently, the participants of the meeting familiarised themselves with the experience of organising the provision of services to residents of the agro-town of Kamen and other settlements of the Kamensky rural council, and with the specific developments of the communal unitary enterprise "Kamenagriservice". The enterprise provides services to villagers in cultivating gardens, procuring firewood, collecting milk from households, etc. The agro-town is comfortable for villagers to live in.
With the help of schoolchildren last year, 30 tons of apples were collected from abandoned orchards. The pupils received money not only for pocket expenses but also for purchasing school supplies.
Elders have become reliable assistants to the local authorities, not only signalling various local problems but also offering support for their resolution.
The efforts of the local administration are directed not only at the local rural council but also at two neighbouring ones. The priority socially oriented area of activity is focused not on obtaining maximum profit, but on providing a maximum of services at acceptable prices.
On the asphalted area near the building of the rural executive committee, guests inspected the equipment and attachments owned by the enterprise. Nearby, a modern mobile shop of the district consumer union was located, offering a wide range of food products. Specialists from the consumer cooperative clearly outlined the system of trade services for villagers and the purchase of surplus agricultural products from the population.
Guests also showed interest in visiting the temporary residence unit for lonely elderly people "Sviatlica", the rural outpatient clinic, the rural House of Culture, and the library-museum of our famous countryman Todor Kliachtorny.
The next stop on the route was the village of Borovka. Many residents of Borovka gathered for a ceremonial rally on the occasion of the opening of the reconstructed building, which houses the local rural executive committee. The solemnity of the moment was organically complemented by the chords of a children's brass band and the resonant beat of drums in the skilled hands of young drummers. The group of builders who distinguished themselves during the reconstruction of the former "pelmeni" (dumpling) shop were awarded honorary diplomas from the relevant authorities, presented by the Chairman of the District Executive Committee Petr Shikshnyan, the Chairman of the District Council of Deputies Nikolai Misyura, and the Chairman of the Borovka Rural Executive Committee Olga Petrova.
The honorable mission of cutting the traditional red ribbon was entrusted to the Chairman of the Council of the Republic Anatoly Rubinov, the Chairman of the Regional Council of Deputies Alexander Atyasov, and the Chairman of the District Executive Committee Petr Shikshnyan (pictured).
The activities of the communal unitary enterprise "Borovka" also greatly impressed the participants of the meeting. The utility workers serve not only the settlement of the same name but also Zaslonovo, Mezhitza, and a number of surrounding villages. And they do not stop at traditional services. Creative search becomes the hallmark of the enterprise, headed by Vladimir Aksyonovich. New production facilities are being opened, the production of fuel pellets has been established, and electricity is generated for internal and other needs on a special unit. Their interests have also extended to neighboring countries, with a range of services being exported to the city of Saint Petersburg.
The staff and pupils of the republican children's health resort center "Zhemchuzhina" (Pearl) hospitably welcomed the distinguished guests. They sincerely gifted them songs and verses of greeting. The guests, by the way, did not come empty-handed, presenting the children with splendid sets of delicious treats and ice cream.
At the end of the event, an impromptu interview with Anatoly Rubinov took place with media representatives. According to Anatoly Rubinov, the valuable experience of Lepel needs to be studied in detail and disseminated in other regions of our country.
Vladimir SHAVCHENKO
