Nikolai Sherstnev considered several dozen appeals during a 'direct telephone line', most of them concerning the work of housing and communal services.
Traditionally, before the head of the region began communicating with the residents of the Vitebsk region, information was provided on what had been done since the previous "direct hotline." At that time, 24 calls were received, including 9 complaints. Three complaints concerning the work of housing and communal services were deemed justified, shortcomings were rectified, and responsible persons were held accountable. The fulfillment of other assignments remains under control.
A decrease in the number of appeals compared to the same period last year is observed. This indicates that many issues are being resolved at the local level. However, unfortunately, there are instances where people go through various authorities with their problems and are forced to call the head of the region regarding issues that should have been resolved by calling the "115" service or the maintenance department of the housing and maintenance office.
It was with such a complaint that a woman living at 6 Gertsen Street in Vitebsk approached. Water has been leaking from the riser in her toilet since August.
– I've contacted everyone – the housing and maintenance office, the housing repair and maintenance trust, I've called "115" several times. They take the requests, but the water keeps leaking. I feel like crying, – laments the pensioner.
The Chairman of the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, Nikolai Orlov, who was on a video call during the phone call, promised that a team would urgently go to the address and sort it out.
– We need to prevent such cases, not just sort them out, – Nikolai Sherstnev addressed the local authorities and relevant services.
In the meantime, a serious investigation is needed into why the entrance hall of the building at 7 Petrus Brovka Street, building 3, has been flooding during rains for five years. According to the woman, the utility workers shrug their shoulders, and the electricians warn that lights should not be turned on in the hallway because water is flowing directly from the socket.
– The house is damp and moldy. They tell us they've paid insurance. But residents don't need that; they need it to be dry, – says the apartment owner.
During the current "direct line" session, the majority of calls concerned the unsatisfactory performance of housing and communal services, both in the regional center and in the districts.
For instance, a pensioner from Senno complained about the work of janitors. Having waited in vain for the housing and maintenance office to mow the grass, the residents did the job themselves and then couldn't get the piles of grass removed.
An elderly woman residing in the regional center on Smolenskaya Street was forced to appeal to the chairman of the regional executive committee to have a bench installed near her entrance and a rod for beating carpets installed. The utility workers are in no hurry to remove the construction debris left after the installation of the container site. The pensioner had contacted the "115" service and the housing and maintenance office regarding these issues, but as the proverb says, "the cart is still there."
Similar complaints, as noted by Nikolai Sherstnev, require attention to personnel selection in housing and communal organizations. After all, this service works directly with people and must respond to their requests competently and promptly. The main thing is to work systematically, not from one emergency to another. It is necessary to clearly know where to install benches near entrances, where to repair pedestrian paths, where to equip children's or sports grounds. One of the pressing problems is the lighting of courtyards. On central streets, the illumination is sometimes unreasonably bright, while in the courtyards it is dark, making it unsafe to reach the entrance.
Regarding the appeals of residents of houses on Gagarin Street, the chairman of the regional executive committee explained that in the next two years, it is planned to put houses and courtyards in order, and to renovate sidewalks, including those adjacent to Gagarin Street.
During the direct line session, issues of dental care for disabled individuals who cannot travel to the clinic on their own, the closure of the post office in the agro-town of Rudnya, Polotsk District, the repair of the water tower in the village of Yaskovshchina, Tolochin District, and the work of bailiffs in Orsha were also raised.
All of them have been taken under control. In the near future, the relevant services will address the complaint of the chairman of the horticultural partnership "Priozernoye" against a plot owner who has turned his dacha into a garbage dump.
Following some complaints about poor apartment heating, specialists were dispatched during the "direct line" session and found the residents' appeals to be unfounded. The homeowners signed documents confirming that the room temperature was above 20 degrees Celsius.
A pressing issue for residents of the city outskirts is public transport. "Vitebskoblavtotrans" sometimes cancels certain routes without coordinating with the Vitebsk City Executive Committee. Specifically, bus route No. 6 does not run in the afternoon. As Nikolai Sherstnev emphasized, while striving to reduce costs, one must not act to the detriment of the people. Perhaps, instead of large buses, minibuses should be used on "unprofitable" routes, and such transport should be purchased.
– We must respect people and be understanding of their problems. After all, the image and authority of the government depend on this, – Nikolai Sherstnev concluded.
"VV" Reference
This year, 457 appeals were received during the regional executive committee's direct lines, which is 8% less than in 2020. A decrease of 9% in the number of people's complaints is also observed in the districts. Most often, residents call regarding housing and communal services (58% of the total number of appeals), road conditions (7%), and transport movement (6%).