Five managers punished in Vitebsk region for violating decree on responding to media criticism

April 6, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. Five managers in the Vitebsk region have been disciplined in the first quarter of 2012 for violating the requirements of Decree No. 630 of December 5, 1997 "On the response of officials to critical statements in state media." This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the regional Committee of State Control. The Vitebsk region State Control Committee identifies numerous violations regarding the non-submission, as well as untimely submission, by state bodies and other organizations to the media of information on the results of consideration of published critical materials and measures taken in response. For example, on November 9, 2011, the editorial office of the district newspaper "Nasha Talachynshchyna" sent a notification to the Tolochin District Executive Committee regarding the critical article "Who is in charge of weeds in the city," published in the newspaper on October 19, 2011, about the insufficient work carried out in the implementation of the "Yards" program. In violation of Decree No. 630, information on the results of the consideration of this critical material and the measures taken was not sent to the district newspaper by the Tolochin District Executive Committee within the established timeframe. At the suggestion of the regional State Control Committee, the head of the housing and communal services department of the district executive committee was disciplined for the violation of the decree's requirements. Similar violations were identified in the first quarter of 2012 concerning the "Povyatye" branch of OJSC "Miory Feed Mill," OJSC "Uzmensky Krai," OJSC "Meritsa" (Miory District), and the Vitebsk City Executive Committee. The State Control Committee draws the attention of heads of organizations and enterprises of all forms of ownership to the strict observance of the head of state's requirements on this issue and reminds that, in accordance with paragraph 4 of the decree, heads of organizations bear personal responsibility for fulfilling the requirements for considering critical materials and submitting information on the results of their consideration, as well as on measures taken, to the relevant state media within one month from the date of publication or broadcast of such messages. Failure to comply with these requirements without valid reasons entails the application of disciplinary measures to officials, up to and including their dismissal from their positions. -0-