Regional authorities must be disciplined for poor fire fighting preparation - Medvedev
GORKI. April 20 (Interfax) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has said that regional authorities that are not prepared for a high-risk fire season must face disciplinary action for the consequences.
"We agreed about it back in 2010 when everything was burning, I perfectly remember that period. And the Emergency Situations Ministry was dealing with it, as was the government at the time at my behest," Medvedev told his deputies on Monday.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin said that by April 1 no work had been carried out in regions to prepare for a high-risk fire season, not even an awareness campaign among the population. "We checked, and as at April 1 no such preparation work was being carried out in regions," Khloponin said.
As a measure, he suggested introducing a provision to strip regions of these powers if they fail to address the task, and transfer them to the federal level.
"That is possible, as is considering the question of disciplinary liability of municipal and regional governors for their ill-preparedness for such events, and, naturally, the consequences that arise," Medvedev said.