Natalia Kochanova: "We need to make decisions more boldly that will benefit the city and its people"
Earlier, the speaker of the upper house of parliament held several direct lines and personal receptions of citizens in Vitebsk, during which many remarks were made about housing and communal services. All appeals have been taken under control, and Natalya Kochanova decided to personally listen to the responsible officials who are supposed to deal with these issues.
— It is important to remember that the work of housing and communal services enterprises is an indicator of the authorities' activities as a whole. Therefore, I would like to draw attention once again: no one in Vitebsk will do the repairs for you. And it is more correct to organize work in such a way as to reduce the number of such complaints. It is clear that this is life, and it is impossible to get rid of problems completely. But we need to act proactively so as not to create a breeding ground for citizens' discontent, and especially for collective appeals, — believes the head of the Council of the Republic.
In a comment to journalists, Natalya Kochanova noted that a principled conversation was held at the meeting about Vitebsk's readiness for winter. In particular, heating has already been turned on in social facilities in the city, and the residential stock will be connected in the near future. Of course, many issues remain, especially regarding the capital repair of the housing stock, Natalya Kochanova stated. Therefore, local authorities need to systematize their work and build it taking into account that there are many houses in the city with long service lives, which require significant funds for their repair. As reported during the meeting by the heads of specialized enterprises, the planned scope of work has been practically completed, with the exception of roof repairs, but they promise to cope with this task by the end of the year.
Speaking about a systematic approach to housing stock maintenance, Natalya Kochanova supported the position of the city authorities: during major repairs of a house, the entire scope of work must be performed.
— Of course, everything must be done comprehensively. If you start working on a house, you need to repair it so that you don't have to return to the site for many years. The government also understands this issue. Otherwise, grounds for discontent are created, and essentially, money is thrown to the wind. It is necessary to do it right away so that people can live comfortably. But considering that there is a lot of privatized housing, citizens themselves should be aware of their obligations to maintain the housing stock, — believes Natalya Kochanova.
While dealing with current tasks, it is no less important to build work for the future, while обязательно informing people about the plans. In addition, according to Natalya Kochanova, to increase the efficiency of housing and communal services enterprises, their managers lack courage.
— The head of state has repeatedly stated that each region has the right to do what is right for it, to build the structure that is effective for this particular region. Therefore, at the local level, decisions should be made more boldly, which will be for the good of your city and for the benefit of the people, — summarized the head of the Council of the Republic.
"Vitebskiye Vesti"