Oleg Matskevich on working with citizens' appeals: "If you promise, do it, there should be no other approach"

A well-functioning system for working in this area has been established in our country, as evidenced by constant receptions of citizens and "direct lines". Nevertheless, the main idea voiced by the Head of the Administration of the President, Natalya Kochanova, is that local authorities need to work on preventing appeals, meet with people more often, invite dialogue on pressing issues, and promptly resolve concerns. At the local level, it is necessary to more actively and broadly explain how much money is in the district and city budgets, where this money will go, and why.

Practice shows that in such cases, people have fewer questions why, for example, the road is being repaired on a neighboring street and not on theirs. Currently, almost everything is written to the administration – about mold on the walls, poor water quality, and broken roads. Of course, such issues should be resolved at the primary level.

The Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, has repeatedly spoken about this: do not extinguish the fire, but work to prevent it, be more attentive to people, so that the regional authorities do not have to intervene in solving everyday problems that could have been promptly resolved locally. The necessity of such an approach was also proven by the "direct line" held last Saturday by the Deputy Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Oleg Matskevich, right from the first call.

– Excuse me for interrupting you from important matters with such a trivial issue, but the local leadership is not resolving it, no matter how many times we have appealed, – complained a resident of Vitebsk. – First, we fought to have bus stop pavilions installed at the "SEZ "Vitebsk" stop on Petrus Brovka Street. As a result, they were installed in the autumn. One side of the road is normal, but the other is without a roof, you can't hide from snow and rain. We called the Housing and Communal Services Department, the City Executive Committee, and got no results. Isn't it possible to find a sheet of polycarbonate and make this roof? Do we really need to appeal to

oblispolkom to resolve such an issue?

Oleg Matskevich assured: the roof at the bus stop will be installed. And at the same time, there will be explanations from the local authorities on why they do not hear people's requests. The same can be said about the appeal of the residents of the house on Gertsen Street, who have repeatedly asked to trim old trees, as they fear for their safety. A letter came from the city executive committee stating that the issue would be resolved by April 1, but the local authorities did not keep their promise. And the residents of houses No. 118 and 120 on Leningradskaya Street reported that trees were trimmed in their yard in the autumn, but the branches and garbage remained lying around afterwards, no one cleaned up after themselves, "we have to live in trash".

Of course, all these and similar issues can be resolved quickly and do not require разбирательств with the participation of the oblispolkom. Why is this not happening?

– If you promise, do it, there should be no other approach. If you said by April 1, keep your word, – emphasized Oleg Sergeevich. – If, for some reason, it is not possible to resolve the issue immediately, people need to be explained everything, go to the site, talk, and not engage in correspondence and red tape.

This is what happens in the situation with those who applied regarding the sewage system on Yeniseyskaya Street in Tulovo. Oleg Matskevich instructed to investigate the reason for the dismissive replies and the lack of effective measures. Or with the improvement of one of the courtyards in Polotsk, where correspondence has been ongoing since 2008.

– The issue is under my personal control, and those responsible for the annual promises will be punished, – summarized the deputy chairman of the oblispolkom.

In addition to household issues, during the "direct line," issues were also raised that show a cross-section of the problems existing in society. Thus, a mother of three children from the Shumilinsky district called and reported that the child benefit payment was delayed at the райагросервис, where she worked before going on maternity leave. Oleg Sergeevich immediately contacted the region, and it turned out that measures were being taken there to resolve the issue, and they promised to pay everything by Friday.

In the village of Strazhevichi, Chashniksky district, according to a local resident, the store was closed and they have been looking for a salesperson for six months. Now a mobile shop brings goods, but there

the assortment is smaller, and about 100 people live in the village. The personnel problem in rural areas has not bypassed consumer cooperation, Oleg Matskevich instructed to study the issue.

The dishonesty of a private developer has led to a difficult situation for a large family from Bocheykovo, Beshenkovichi district, who were granted a preferential loan for the construction of an individual house. However, the money was not enough, the house remained unfinished, and, as it turned out, the contractor inflated the cost of work, and now is not responding. Of course, the regional executive committee will sort out the situation.

Entrepreneurs selling second-hand clothing turned to Oleg Matskevich. After changes in legislation, they cannot work as before: now it is not allowed to sell from a portable tent, a stationary store is needed, and before they moved around different regions – Novolukoml, Chashniki, Lepel, Shumilino.

– It makes no sense to open a store in a small town, we will have to close, look for work, and this will not be easy: over the years in business, we have lost our qualifications. Many have already left this market, – noted a woman who called from Lepel.

– I can only act within the framework of the law. So, canceling the innovations is not within my competence, but I can voice your request and the consequences of the resolution, that a certain number of entrepreneurs were left without work, to the government, and I will definitely do it, – noted Oleg Sergeevich.

The conclusion from all that has been said is obvious: it is necessary to improve the quality of work with citizens' appeals on the ground, so that people trust the enterprises and services responsible for their comfort, as well as the district and city authorities.

Olga Maslovskaya. Photos by Anton Stepanishchev, "Vitebskiye vesti".