April 6, Vitebsk /Olga Bogacheva - BELTA/. Five managers in the Vitebsk region were subjected to disciplinary action in the first quarter of 2012 for violating the requirements of Decree No. 630 of December 5, 1997, "On the response of officials to critical statements in state media." This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the regional Committee of State Control. The Vitebsk region Committee of State Control identifies numerous violations regarding the non-submission, as well as untimely submission, by state bodies and other organisations to the media of information on the results of consideration of critical materials published therein and measures taken in response. For example, on November 9, 2011, the editorial office of the district newspaper "Nasha Talachynshchyna" sent a notification to the Tolochin District Executive Committee regarding the critical article "Who is the boss of the weeds in the city," published in the newspaper on October 19, 2011, concerning the insufficient work carried out in implementing the "Yards" programme. In violation of Decree No. 630, the Tolochin District Executive Committee failed to submit information on the results of the consideration of this critical material and the measures taken to the district newspaper within the established timeframe. At the suggestion of the regional Committee of State Control for the admitted violation of the decree's requirements, the head of the housing and communal services department of the district executive committee was subjected to disciplinary action. Similar violations were identified in the first quarter of 2012 concerning the "Povyatye" branch of OJSC "Miory Feed Mill," OJSC "Uzmensky Kray," OJSC "Meritsa" (Miory District), and the Vitebsk City Executive Committee. The Committee of State Control draws the attention of the heads of organisations and enterprises of all forms of ownership to the strict observance of the head of state's requirements on this issue and reminds that, in accordance with paragraph 4 of the decree, the heads of organisations bear personal responsibility for fulfilling the requirements for considering critical materials and submitting information on the results of their consideration, as well as on measures taken, to the relevant state media within one month from the date of publication or broadcast of such reports. Failure to comply with these requirements without valid reasons entails the application of disciplinary measures to officials, up to and including their dismissal from their positions. -0-

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