Sergei Polyakov
Russia's Health and Social Development Minister Tatyana Golikova reported to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on social benefits for disabled persons.
Last May, President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree on social benefits for disabled persons giving them a choice of receiving a car or a 100,000 rouble compensation in cash.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister asked Ms Golikova how the decree was being put into practice.
"Russian automobile giant AvtoVAZ has won the tender for supplying cars to disabled persons. The Government will buy 17,388 cars of the VAZ-2107 model this year," the Minister reported.
"The VAZ-2107 was considered almost as a luxury car back in Soviet times," Mr Putin said.
"People were very happy, when they got these cars on Victory Day," Ms Golikova told Mr Putin. "Veterans did not expect to get VAZ-2107 cars because they were used to Oka vehicles. So they are not only happy, but very grateful."
"Excellent. This is a worthy reward for us. Let them be happy."
Besides providing vehicles to disabled persons, Mr Putin and Ms Golikova discussed the national demographic situation. In 2008 the record-breaking birth rate will become one of the highest in the past 20 years.
"The problem of nursery schools is becoming more and more acute for the country," the Prime Minister said. "You should keep this in mind while working with your colleagues in the Government. Let's discuss this problem with the regions and solve it."