Former officials are asked to keep an eye on current ones

The authorities of Tatarstan intend to involve public councils (PCs) created under the ministries and municipalities of the republic in the fight against corruption. Yesterday, at a round table in the office of the President of Tatarstan, officials suggested that they monitor the expenses of officials, publish information about suspicious tenders in the media, and learn to ask “inconvenient questions” to heads of departments. Members of the OS did not show any desire to identify corrupt officials, believing that “everything is real” anyway, and complained that the councils were entrusted with “too many” responsibilities.

Head of the Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for Tatarstan Gulnara Sergeeva believes that the councils are dependent on the head of the department under which they are formed
Photo: Mikhail Sokolov, Kommersant

Yesterday, the head of the Tatarstan Presidential Administration for Anti-Corruption Policy, Mars Badrutdinov, called on the OS to “actively get involved” in the fight against corruption. Speaking at the round table “The Role of Public Associations and Organizations in Combating Corruption,” he said that their work in this direction “leaves much to be desired.” According to him, social activists only hear reports on the activities of ministries and formally review their regulations, despite the presence of “real levers for influencing the work of government bodies.” “I haven’t listened to any statements... even once,” stated Mr. Badrutdinov.

As an example, he turned to the OS of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic: “Why not regularly raise the problem of subscriptions in the agricultural sector and receiving subsidies in rural areas at council meetings?” He invited council members to “go to a couple of districts, see the situation with their own eyes, and communicate with those who work on the land every day.” In addition, he called on all social activists to monitor the income of officials and the creation of structures affiliated with them on the Internet, to conduct an “analysis of public complaints” about the quality of services - and to bring all these topics to meetings of councils and anti-corruption commissions. “This will be effective when you personally delve into what is happening... and do not hesitate to ask questions to officials, sometimes uncomfortable ones,” Mr. Badrutdinov emphasized.

The head of the Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for Tatarstan, Gulnara Sergeeva, noted the “inertia” of the councils and the fact that they are “in some way dependent” on the head of the department under which they were formed. “I very much doubt that they will be very proactive,” she concluded. Ms. Sergeeva said that the OS under the republican Ministry of Justice includes “pensioners who worked in the Ministry of Justice.” “I have nothing against them... But it seems to me that there should be more energetic people in the OS, from human rights organizations,” she emphasized, suggesting that OS members should be elected on a competitive basis. Gulnara Sergeeva proposed adopting a regional law on public control in order to give “status” to the OS. She believes that now government agencies are not afraid of public inspections.

Mars Badrutdinov agreed with her: “There are many familiar faces in the hall who used to work in the same ministries, and today they head the OS... Somewhere, say something against someone... Not many people will dare.” “There will be marking time” if members of the OS do not “influence” the leadership of government agencies, suggested the head of the economic security department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the republic, Dmitry Kozlov. And the head of the Public Chamber of Tatarstan, Anatoly Fomin, called on them to disseminate “who constantly wins what major contracts” and other similar information through the media.

Representatives of the OS considered the criticism addressed to them to be unfounded. “From the height of my long track record in the republic, I allow myself to disagree with this,” said Alla Gabutdinova, former Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan, and now chairman of the OS under the Committee on Socio-Economic Monitoring. She felt “offended” that her “experience is no longer needed.” “We work as they direct us,” she emphasized. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Zemlya-Zemlytsa” Vladimir Beloskov (member of the OS under the Ministry of Agriculture) assured that the topic of postscripts is “regularly” raised at meetings of the anti-corruption commission under the ministry. However, he believes, corruption is “endless and ineradicable”, since “it is fueled by the fontanel, which is knocked out of the masses.”

“I will never be involved in identifying any corrupt officials,” said the head of the Ministry of Culture of Tatarstan until 1999, now heading the OS under the ministry, Marcel Taishev. According to him, “where are whose children... who wins tenders... who now owns the land... or suddenly some person built a small hut - 400 square meters. m, everyone knows." “Come on through - these houses are all real. And check, especially the officials,” he addressed civil servants and law enforcement agencies, assuring that when he himself was in power, “he was responsible for every penny.” “We rely too much on the OS. And the people who are sitting here are the ones to identify,” the former official concluded.

Kirill Antonov

Corruption will be handed over to the councils