The government proposes to pay assistance only to certain categories of Chernobyl victims

Parliamentary hearings on overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster took place yesterday. Representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers proposed reforming the system of providing social assistance to Chernobyl victims and paying it only to “priority categories of victims.” This proposal caused a protest from public organizations that represent the interests of victims of the Chernobyl accident.

Yesterday's parliamentary hearings were dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, which will be celebrated on April 26. At the beginning of the meeting, representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers reported on the progress of work to eliminate the consequences of the accident. Chairman of the State Agency for Exclusion Zone Management Vladimir Kholosha said that in 2010, 64 thousand cubic meters of radioactive waste were processed and transferred for disposal (in total since 1986 - more than 923 thousand cubic meters). And in 2008 and 2009, waste storage facilities were put into operation and the building structures of the Shelter facility were stabilized. “They will protect the facility from destruction for the next 10-15 years, until a new safe confinement (insulation system) is built,” explained Mr. Kholosha.

Deputy Minister of Social Policy Konstantin Vashchenko spoke about state assistance to victims of the Chernobyl accident. According to him, to fulfill the requirements of the law “On the status and social protection of citizens affected by the Chernobyl disaster”, almost 74 billion UAH per year is needed. “This is problematic for any country, even during a period of economic growth. After the adoption of the law in 1991, it was fully implemented only in the first two years,” noted Mr. Vashchenko. He also said that the current year’s state budget provides only UAH 7.78 million for social assistance to Chernobyl victims and proposed “reforming the assistance system” - in particular, paying it only to “priority categories of victims.”

Representatives of public organizations criticized this proposal. “The housing program is zero, the rehabilitation program for the Chernobyl disaster zone is also zero. The government leaves medical support at the level of 2 UAH per person per year, setting aside 300 million UAH for medical support for high-ranking officials,” the president of the All-Ukrainian public organization of disabled people “Union” said from the podium Chernobyl" Yuri Andreev.

In addition, representatives of the public opposed government bill #7562, submitted to the Rada, guaranteeing the payment of compensation for court decisions taken not in favor of the state. The source of these payments are funds allocated by the budget to provide social benefits, including to Chernobyl victims (see Kommersant of February 22). “We have been hearing the words ‘minimization of the consequences of the accident’ for many years, but project #7562 began minimizing Chernobyl victims,” said Georgy Khilya, chairman of the Rivne regional association Chernobyl Union, indignantly. He was supported by the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy, Nature Management and Elimination of the Consequences of the Chernobyl Disaster, Anatoly Seminoga (BYuT-Batkivshchyna). He said that the committee he heads recommends rejecting bill #7562.

The hearing lasted more than two hours. As a result, people's deputies decided to appeal to the Cabinet of Ministers with a request to develop a new state program for overcoming the consequences of the Chernobyl accident for 2012-2016. The previous program expired in 2010.

Alexander Zvorsky

The Cabinet of Ministers changes priorities