On February 3, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. In 2012, the Vitebsk region plans to commence the construction of a number of new educational facilities. This was announced today at the final board meeting of the Education Department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee by its head, Ivan Shchurok, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. Due to the intensive development of new residential areas and changes in the demographic situation, five preschool educational institutions will be constructed in the region this year in Vitebsk, Polotsk, and a completely new type of facility – a nursery-kindergarten-primary school – in Novopolotsk. Construction is also planned to start for a preschool educational institution in Orsha, a secondary school for 1,020 students in Vitebsk, two swimming pools in Vitebsk and Novolukoml, and a dormitory building for 200 students with a catering unit for the Vitebsk Cadet School. Br32.4 billion from the regional budget is allocated for these purposes. Furthermore, based on equal co-financing from the republican and regional budgets, Br2.4 billion is planned to be allocated for the construction of two residential buildings for families raising orphans and children left without parental care. These will be located in the urban settlement of Vidzy, Braslav district, and the agro-town of Orekhovno, Ushachi district, under the presidential program "Children of Belarus". Additionally, Br3.8 billion is allocated from subsidies for overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. This funding will be used for the construction of a dormitory building for 166 students and a mineral water well at the "Zhemchuzhina" Children's Rehabilitation and Health Improvement Center (DROTS) in Lepel district. In total, the Investment Program of the Vitebsk Region for 2012 plans to allocate Br40.2 billion to the education sector. Last year, Br28.3 billion was allocated under this program for the construction of new educational facilities. The implementation of the program's measures allowed for the commissioning of the fifth building and stadium of Secondary School No. 18 in Polotsk, the cultural and leisure center of the "Zhemchuzhina" DROTS, two family-type residential buildings in Shumilino and Chashniki, and the completion of the reconstruction of Secondary School No. 1 in Glubokoye. -0-

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