Mr Chub: I am very glad you have arrived in Rostov-on-Don. We would like to boast growing production volumes, which have increased by 14 percent.
We appreciate your assistance very much. Almost 700 million roubles ($29.8 million) were allocated last year to combat the drought, with residents of local villages being very grateful to you for this.
About 25 percent of the crop has been gathered so far, from a harvested area of 2.3 million hectares. The situation is normal this year.
Mr Putin: That is, you forecast this year's harvest will be no worse, and possibly even better, than last year's?
Mr Chub: Much better. I suppose it [the total harvested area] will reach about 7 million hectares.
Mr Putin: Really?
Mr Chub: Yes. Last year, it was 4 million hectares.
Mr Putin: Good, we will see.
Mr Chub: Of course, there are certain problems. First of all, I would mention the water supply issue. You can see what kind of temperatures we are having - and last year, the temperatures were even higher.
Mr Putin: Do you mean water supplies for the economic sector? For agriculture?
Mr Chub: No, for the local residents in general. As for agriculture, there are issues related to the sector but they are foreseen in the programme, with 500 million roubles ($21.3 million) allotted for land reclamation work. It is little, but quite enough for the first stage.
The biggest issue however is water supplies to the local cities and towns. I have prepared a letter to you on the subject asking for support.
Speaking of the housing sector - last year we constructed the largest number of residential houses in the region ever built in the post-war period.
Mr Putin: What are the growth volumes in the region's housing construction sector?
Mr Chub: Last year, the increase accounted for 1.7 million square meters, this year it amounted to 1.9 million square meters.
Mr Putin: Are locally manufactured construction materials used?
Mr Chub: Mostly, yes. We have restored a factory producing prefabricated bearing wall panels and a number of brick making plants. A new lining brick plant has recently started operating. So we mostly use locally produced construction materials.
Interestingly, even Moscow-based construction companies have entered our local market. They are involved in constructing residential houses and other facilities.
The major issue, though, is how to combine working and living here in Rostov, since the city is congested. I always used to be surprised at Moscow in this regard, and now I am surprised at Rostov. The city's road bridges are the biggest issue in this respect. We have four bridges but only two of them are operating. You saw it during the overflight. This is indeed a huge problem for the city.
Mr Putin: The bridges have been operating for 47 years, haven't they?
Mr Chub: They have been used for 46 years, while their service life before major repairs is 45 years. The bridges were continuously mended with whatever means were available, with one of them literally coming apart. We avoided a catastrophe by the skin of our teeth, realizing the danger before it was too late and banning all traffic along the bridge within two days. This resulted in only two of the three bridges operating. We were also working on a new bridge at the moment, despite the lack of money.
Mr Putin: The one located near the district of Zheleznodorozhny?
Mr Chub: Yes, near Zheleznodorozhny, where the Temernik River flows almost perpendicularly into the Don River. This is the only bridge being constructed along the river, not across the Don, but along the Temernik.
So the bridges issue is as serious for Rostov as those of traffic congestion, air pollution and the environment. So far, we have been unable to get the city out of these conditions. The sum of one billion roubles ($42.6 million), allocated to cities with a population of over one million people, has been spent by the city administration on constructing the bridge. Last year, the Rostov Region allocated 300 million roubles ($12.8 million) for the purpose, and this year the figure amounts to 480 million roubles ($20.4 million). We have just had a meeting with Transport Minister Igor Levitin and Regional Development Minister Dmitry Kozak where we spoke on the financing issue.