Izvestia: "Putin promises to allocate 1.5 trillion roubles to raise military pensions"
The prime minister prepared an unprecedented increase in welfare benefits for former workers of the Defence Ministry, Interior Ministry, and intelligence services.
Vladimir Putin visited Kaliningrad on November 2. During his short visit, the prime minister asked about life in the city, from childbirth to road congestions. He brought good news for former servicemen. All military pensions will be raised 50% in 2012. About 1.5 trillion roubles will be allocated from the federal budget for this purpose.
"Military and civilian pensions have become equal in a number of cases. Moreover, non-military retirees receive more. This undermines the principle of social justice. As, indeed, more often than not, military personnel have to deal with harsh 'working' conditions throughout their careers that may include moving around and hazardous service," Putin said.
Vladimir Putin's Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told Izvestia that the funds to support military pensioners had been set aside while planning the budget.
"A sum of 1.5 trillion roubles will be appropriated not only for raising pensions, but also for additional payments, which the prime minister mentioned at the meeting," Peskov told Izvestia.
Starting January 1, 2012, security service agents disabled in the line of duty will receive a monthly allowance in addition to their pension. This will total 14,000 roubles for the first disability group, 7,000 roubles for the second and 2,800 roubles for the third disability group. Those serving under contract, if they retire due to disability, will receive a one-time payment of 2 million roubles; a draftee retired for the same reason will receive 1 million.
"A contractor is usually an adult with a family to support," the prime minister explained. "If a tragedy happens and an officer or agent dies on duty, his family will receive a one-time payment of 3 million roubles."
Later, the prime minister visited the construction site of a new bridge over the Staraya and Novaya Pregolya rivers. Construction began in 1985, was suspended in 1993, and then resumed in 2006.
The workers told Izvestia that the construction had to almost start over. The Soviet era piles were removed as they didn't meet today's specifications. Only the foundation of the old bridge was left. The new viaduct will be opened by the end of the year, but other construction projects will continue. A stadium will be built near the bridge to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. New highway access points and interchanges will be constructed.
Kaliningrad Region Governor Nikolai Tsukanov is very concerned about Kaliningrad's football club, Baltika, which remains a thirteenth place club in the First League. He said the club is popular in the city, but it doesn't have its own facility. A new stadium will be good for football.
"The team needs a sponsor and budget support," Tsukanov said. "I talked to the Head of the Federal Agency for Atomic Energy, Sergei Kiriyenko, and he supported the idea of his agency becoming the sponsor, if you have no objections. This would be the best way to promote nuclear power plants construction."
Putin had no objections.
Alexei Golenishchev (Izvestia), Anastasia Novikova
