Dvorkovich proposes backup heat, power for all social institutions
GORKI. Oct 30 (Interfax) - Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich is proposing to ensure that all social institutions and continuous cycle facilities have backup sources of heat and electricity, and to tighten rules for shutting off debtors for gas and electricity.
"For all critical organizations: healthcare organizations, continuous cycle operations and others there are all types of backup power sources. This has been done in the past few years. We need to do an inventory and ensure such backup where it has not been done yet. I think that there is already a minimum of such organizations, and after this transition to stricter measures," Dvorkovich said at a government meeting on increasing payment discipline for gas supplies.
"This is a complex issue [restricting supplies], although in all decent countries this is done. And no real problems arise in the end. We just need to get used to this. This is difficult the first time, when your gas or electricity is shut off. This is, of course, a shock, but people already don't let this happen a second time and organizations also won't allow this. We need to be prepared for this and, ultimately, this needs to be done," Dvorkovich said.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev concurred. "I agree, we can't do without tough measures here," Medvedev said.