Teleconference on the issues of establishing order at agricultural facilities and organizing spring field work
The meeting was attended by heads of all regional law enforcement and regulatory bodies to develop a clear algorithm for improving order at each agricultural facility and maintaining it on a permanent basis, taking into account the results of their inspections. As noted by the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, law enforcement agencies were involved in this work due to the exceptional nature of the situation, as many managers and specialists at the local level, both from agricultural enterprises and at the district level, are not performing their daily duties as prescribed by technological regulations. Information was heard from the heads of the Committee for State Control, the Department of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor's Office of the region, and the regional departments of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the State Automobile Inspectorate. At the end of March, their employees conducted monitoring of the situation on the ground and informed the regional executive committee of their findings, concluding that there was a lack of systematic work and control by specialists at the local level. This necessitated urgent response measures.
For example, in 27 inspected farms in 16 districts, specialists of the State Control Committee of the region found that the machinery was not ready for sowing and the provision of mineral fertilizers was extremely low; even only about 80 percent of the planned organic fertilizers were applied to the fields. At the same time, in a number of cases, according to district reports, the situation regarding tractor readiness was more favorable. At 40 farms of 17 agricultural enterprises, gross violations of livestock keeping technology were discovered: manure was removed untimely, there was a lack of bedding, and the farms were not fenced. And at the state enterprise "Drozdы-Agro", a fact of causing significant material damage to the state in the amount of 100 thousand rubles was established due to the fact that a milking parlor built two years ago had not been put into operation, the facility was not conserved, access to it was not restricted, and the computer system failed. According to the prosecutor of the region Vadim Sushchinsky, a criminal case has been initiated, and the circle of officials responsible for causing damage to the state is being established, as the milking parlor was built with state support. In total, state control identified 84 instances of violations and deficiencies in agricultural enterprises; 34 people have already been brought to administrative responsibility, although punishment was not the main measure of influence at the initial stage. Managers were issued recommendations for their elimination and prevention in the future. Information on the elimination of violations has already been received for some facts. But further, as noted by the chairman of the State Control Committee of the Vitebsk region Vadim Zaryankin, there will be no more warnings, only strict punishment. The meeting noted that such a situation became possible also due to the lack of systematic control over their spheres by the land service, veterinary supervision, and environmental services, which have enough authority not only to uncover deficiencies and report upwards on the number of inspections carried out, but also to achieve their effective elimination.
A serious problem at the start of the sowing campaign was the unpreparedness of a significant portion of the machinery for field work. According to the regional State Automobile Inspectorate, only 48 percent of the tractors available on farms passed technical inspection, and even fewer – 34 percent – of the energy-intensive ones. The machinery is faulty, the tires are worn, and some of it, even if in working condition, cannot pass technical inspection due to arrears in payments to leasing companies, which in turn prevents its registration by agricultural enterprises. There are also numerous problems with pre-trip inspections of drivers, with instances of formal marking of this procedure. The result is 19 protocols drawn up for driving under the influence of alcohol. Law enforcement officers of the region have identified cases of equipment dismantling, lack of security at machine yards, and inadequate measures for the preservation of inventory. Often, conditions for violations by subordinates are created, and managers themselves set a bad example. For instance, two dismantled tractors were found in front of the house of the chief engineer of the "Orekhovno" agricultural enterprise in the Ushachi district. Concealment of livestock mortality in the Braslav district, unreliable livestock accounting, unaccounted buildings and structures, falsification of state statistical reporting, and many other revealed irregularities, which are not isolated cases, required harsh conclusions regarding the personnel of agricultural enterprises and the district level, including the chairmen of district executive committees, made by the head of the region.
-- This is an extreme measure – shifting the control function from the shortcomings of local staff to law enforcement agencies, -- said Nikolai Sherstnev. -- But if you do not understand that you need to perform your job technologically every day, to establish order where it is lacking, and to constantly maintain it, then such methods will have to be used for now. Pressure from above will only increase until the situation normalizes. It is necessary to close those old small farms where the technology of keeping animals cannot be ensured, and to transfer the livestock to proper facilities. At the machine yards, obsolete equipment must be dismantled, and serviceable components must be accounted for, and the rest must be sent for scrap metal. This applies to every area of production. Next Saturday, the conversation will be structured differently, asking each chairman of the district executive committee what work has been done, and whether a system for maintaining the established order has been created. The countdown has begun.