Polotsk and Polotsk District may be merged into a single administrative unit

October 3, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The Polotsk City Executive Committee and the Polotsk District Executive Committee are studying public opinion on the possible merger of the city and the district into one administrative unit. A message about this is posted on the official websites of the executive committees, reports a BELTA correspondent. The prerequisites for merging Polotsk District and Polotsk have developed over the past few years in connection with the improvement of management in various spheres of public life support through the merger of institutions serving the district and the city in general, such as medical care, sanitary-epidemiological service, ecology, communications, military commissariats, and regional units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the appeal to citizens states. The proposed merger, according to local authorities, will allow for more prompt, targeted, and comprehensive resolution of issues related to the socio-economic development of the city and the district. The coordination of actions of various structures will improve. The concentration of material and financial resources will make it possible to more effectively address issues of rural development and improve the operating conditions for economic entities. The merger of housing and communal services departments will create a powerful structure based on existing facilities, providing high-level services to facilities in agro-towns and other rural settlements, and expanding the range of services. Proposals for improving the administrative-territorial structure at the basic level have been prepared taking into account the forecast of population changes, the development of its settlement system, environmental protection complexes, the formation of a social service system, and the historical traditions of the region's administrative structure. Both executive committees believe that the implementation of this proposal will not entail changes in the amount of income, expenses, and sources of funding, budget deficit, or any negative consequences for legal entities and individuals, including individual entrepreneurs, and will not affect business conditions. In accordance with Article 17 of the Law of the Republic of Belarus "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of the Republic of Belarus," citizens have the right to express opinions on issues of administrative-territorial structure and exercise other rights provided for by law. Citizens' opinions on the merger of Polotsk District and Polotsk into one administrative-territorial unit are accepted in writing at the addresses of the executive committees, as well as in electronic form to the addresses of the official websites. The executive committees intend to consider citizens' proposals within a month – until October 31 of the current year. During 2002-2007, 12 cities and districts were merged into one administrative-territorial unit: Zhlobin District and Zhlobin, Kobrin District and Kobrin, Rechytsa District and Rechytsa, Svetlogorsk District and Svetlogorsk, Slonim District and Slonim, Lida District and Lida, Molodechno District and Molodechno, Lepel District and Lepel, Slutsk District and Slutsk, Borisov District and Borisov, Soligorsk District and Soligorsk, Mozyr District and Mozyr. -0-