Translated material
The heroes found no reward
United Russia has a dispute with the government
In the near future, the State Duma intends to consider two alternative bills “On the status of Heroes.” One of them was introduced by the government, the other by a group of deputies from the United Russia faction who disagreed with the cabinet: Oleg Morozov, Andrei Isaev, Nikolai Kovalev, Viktor Zavarzin and Franz Klintsevich. Already, the Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia are expressing strong disagreement with the government option. On Monday, 50 Heroes even held a picket near the government building on Gorbaty Bridge.In accordance with the government bill, Heroes of the Russian Federation who will be awarded this title after January 1, 2006, will lose the special rights and benefits entitled to them by law in accordance with their status, receiving instead monthly monetary compensation. United Russia members responded quickly to the dissatisfaction of the Heroes, who decided to partially rehabilitate themselves to the population for supporting the monetization of benefits for other categories of citizens.
United Russia members expressed disagreement with the discriminatory, in their opinion, position of the government, which decided to divide Heroes into two categories. They insist on giving the Heroes of Russia the same right to choose between benefits and compensation as the Heroes of the Soviet Union.
The current law “On the Status of Heroes” provides for a number of benefits. Including an increase in all types of pensions, tax exemptions, priority free care and treatment of Heroes of Russia and the USSR and members of their families in clinics and hospitals, free provision of medicines, and the manufacture of dentures. Holders of Hero status are entitled to receive a free trip to the sanatorium once a year, and their family members can pay only 25% of the cost for the trip. Persons who have received vouchers are given the right to free travel to and from the place of treatment.
In addition, Heroes and their families are exempt from paying for housing and communal services, and can also receive ownership of land plots with an area of 0.1 hectares in cities and towns and 0.3 hectares in rural areas. The law gives holders of Hero status the priority right to remain at work in the event of a reduction in staff, regardless of the time spent working in a given organization, as well as priority employment in the event of liquidation of an enterprise, institution or organization.
In accordance with the law, spouses and children under the age of 18 of deceased Heroes are paid a one-time benefit in the amount of 20 minimum wages.
After the adoption of the 122nd law on the monetization of benefits, Heroes had the right to choose between cash payments and maintaining benefits. In any case, government innovations will not affect people already awarded the status of Hero of the Soviet Union and Russia. However, they are worried about something else. “We believe that this will lead to the fact that after some time, with the passing of living Heroes, the very law on the status of Heroes and the special status of Heroes in society will cease to exist,” says the address to the President of Russia, signed by 204 Heroes Soviet Union, Russian Federation and Socialist Labor.
The Heroes also don’t like the fact that the government decided to change the law on their status without consulting them. “We assume that they are trying to exclude us from the negotiation process regarding the finalization of the bill on the status of heroes,” Hero of the Soviet Union Valery Burkov said at a press conference yesterday. -- We intend to achieve an equal partnership in the preparation of the bill with the government and the State Duma. We must become the third party that must be included in the process of finalizing the bill.” The Hero of the Soviet Union added that on Thursday he and his comrades are planning to hold a picket on Gorbaty Bridge again.