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The Legislative Duma of Tomsk Oblast
April 29, 2010. XXXVIII Session of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma For the first time, along with the text report a live webcast of the session is available on the website.
The Governor of Tomsk Oblast Viktor Kress delivered a report on the performance of the Tomsk Oblast executive authorities in 2009. As he said in the report:
“In 2009 the Oblast Administration was criticized as never before. Still, many people believe that everything depends on the authorities. Demographic and economic growth too. In fact, the authorities cannot influence everything when 90% of the economy is in private ownership. However, there are areas of influence.
The opinion on the authorities depends on our professionalism and personal qualities of officials, on the desire and possibilities to come up with up-to-date administrative solutions, on an unbiased or one-sided attitude of the media, and even on a simple aptitude of an official to communicate with people. And the web keeps pouring oil into the flame by providing the ground for people to openly discuss any executive or administrative decision. It is impossible to turn a blind eye to impartial criticism...”
 The deputies asked the Governor a lot of questions on all spheres of life and all territories of Tomsk Oblast, among them questions about benefits, destiny of Tomsk Water Production Facility, construction prospects, opening date of the international terminal of the Tomsk airport, increased capacity of kindergartens, opening of a perinatal center in Tomsk, rural development prospects in view of poor financing, etc.
Boris Maltsev, Speaker of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma, summarized the discussion in his speech.
Within ‘A Governor’s Hour’ the deputies were presented a report by Aleksey Baryshev, General Director of the Tomsk Special Economic Zone of technical innovation type.
He said that investments in the SEZ Nanocenter totaled about 1bn rubles. The plan by the end of this year is to finish the 17,500 sq. m engineering center and populate it with residents. Also, it is planned to finish construction of the traffic infrastructure on the Southern Site by the end of this year. One of the most critical tasks is to find and ensure support for residents. Residents will be sought for in Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Krasnoyarsk, and Moscow. Mr. Baryshev emphasized that the Tomsk SEZ will become investment-attractive as soon as the entire infrastructure is in place.
The deputies decided to add a new item to the agenda of the Labor and Social Policy Committee – a revised approach to summer recreation for children. Last year the budget of the summer health promotion campaign was 202m rubles; this year it was increased to 220m rubles. Under the new approach health resort passes are available to all children irrespective of whether their parents are members of a trade union or not. Moreover, health resort passes were allocated in a way that Tomsk Oblast districts got more of them than the city of Tomsk.
Also, in the first reading the deputies passed the Law 'On organization and provision of recreation and health improvement activities for children in Tomsk Oblast'. This framework law defines powers of the Oblast public authorities in the area of children’s recreation and health improvement. It is aimed at providing recreation for children beyond school holidays which are dealt with by local authorities.
In view of the critical situation around kindergartens, a 10-people group of deputies representing various Duma factions put forward an initiative to carry out a deputies’ investigation of legal validity of privatization of Tomsk kindergartens and changes in their legal status. The Oblast Duma backed the deputies’ initiative and set a deadline for the deputies’ investigation – July 29, 2010.
In accordance with the Oblast Law 'On deputies’ investigation in Tomsk Oblast' a deputies’ investigation is a form of implementation of supervisory powers of the State Duma of Tomsk Oblast. Those powers are also used for identification of causes and circumstances of any current or past high-profile negative events in the territory of the Oblast.
In the first reading the deputies passed the Law 'On the Ombudsman for Children of Tomsk Oblast'. The Law was developed pursuant to the Russian Presidential Edict 'On the Russian President’s Ombudsman for Children'. The Edict not only guarantees protection of children’s rights in Russia but also ensures fulfillment of international obligations such as execution of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As soon as this position appeared at the federal level, there was a direct instruction to establish similar institutions in the regions.
The document sets a procedure for appointment and termination of the Ombudsman for Children of Tomsk Oblast, their scope of authority, goals and institutional arrangements. The Tomsk Oblast State Duma will be able to take part in the appointment procedure. Among the main goals of the Ombudsman are not only protection of children’s rights and identification of cases of violation but also participation in the legislative activity in that area.
“The new Law is in many ways a repetition of the Law 'On the Ombudsman of Tomsk Oblast',” said Boris Maltsev, Speaker of the Oblast Duma. “These will be two absolutely new institutions which will not depend on Administration or State Duma. That means they have been created for people. The Oblast citizens will be able to address here with their problems and concerns. The Ombudsmen will transmit those issues to the authorities, and we will look for solutions. To my mind, it is a right and timely decision.
The two institutes will start working from January 1, 2011.
In the second reading the deputies adopted amendments to the Oblast Law 'On awards and honorary title in Tomsk Oblast' regarding establishment of a new award – a decoration 'For Merits in Education', three grades.
The deputies backed an initiative of the Tomsk Oblast Governor to eliminate the Oblast Department for Municipal Entities and create a system of plenipotentiary representatives of the Governor in municipal entities.
The deputies made corresponding amendments to the Tomsk Oblast Statute to define the scope of responsibilities of the plenipotentiary representatives and their assistants. The responsibilities include organization of local Councils, meetings, working visits of the Governor and his deputies to the municipal entities, carrying out of videoconferences and seminars on local self-governance issues, organization of Days of Municipal Entity Leader, preparation of and follow-up on calendar schedules of main events to be held in a municipal entity. Also, plenipotentiary representatives will prepare answers to public appeals on local self-governance issues and visit municipal entities concerned, develop analytical materials on socio-political and socio-economical situation in municipal entities of Tomsk Oblast, provide practical support to local authorities in preparation to and holding of elections and referendums.
The deputies passed amendments to the Law 'On 2010 Oblast budget and planning period of 2011 and 2012'. The Oblast budget revenues and expenses were increased by 157.9m rubles in total. This money will be spent on apartment blocks overhauls and relocation of citizens from unfit housing facilities. The money will be provided to the region by the public corporation Fund for Assistance to Housing Maintenance and Utilities Reform.
In two readings the deputies adopted amendments to the Oblast Law 'On allocation of inter-budgetary transfers' which define expenditure commitments of Tomsk Oblast to provide subsidies to municipal budgets for apartment blocks overhauls and relocation of citizens from unfit housing facilities.
In the first reading the bill 'On theaters and theatrical business in Tomsk Oblast' was passed. This bill will become a truly historical precedent.
As Boris Maltsev said, “This bill is unique in the country.”
The bill defines theatrical business relations, related competences of the public authorities of Tomsk Oblast, forms of public support, rights and responsibilities of theaters, certification of creative professionals working for the Oblast national theaters, and keeping of records of the Oblast theaters at the governmental level.
The bill also regulates business activity of theaters, including sale of souvenirs and flowers, producer activity, manufacturing of goods and provision of services related to the primary activity of theaters. In accordance with the bill theaters can set prices for tickets, compile a repertoire, and define their development priorities. Also, within the scope of responsibility of theaters remains the audience’s safety during the performance as well as security of the audience’s belongings in the cloakroom.
A new system of financing through subsidies will give the Oblast authorities a right to give assignments to theaters and set their tour destinations, which will make theaters more accessible to rural communities.
Tomsk Oblast has the biggest number of laws concerning art and culture such as laws on libraries, museums, national and cultural autonomies, indigenous minorities of the North, and traditional crafts.
In two readings the deputies adopted changes to the Administrative Code of Tomsk Oblast. They added an article on administrative responsibility for carrying and drinking beer and low-alcohol beverages in public places.
 Boris Maltsev, Speaker of the Tomsk Oblast State Duma, held a traditional press-conference for journalists during the break.
In his answers to the questions from the media the Duma Speaker put particular emphasis on the 'Report on performance of Tomsk Oblast executive authorities in 2009' delivered by the Governor.
“This is not a repetition of the annual Governor’s Message to the Duma deputies”, the Speaker said. “The format is absolutely different! The Message is just for listening to but the Report provides the deputies with an opportunity to ask the Governor any related questions. The deputies can deliver an evaluation of the Report and the Duma passes a special resolution on the Report. This is a striking event in the political life of the Oblast! The Report was very interesting and self-critical, and touched upon the most urgent concerns of our population, our voters!”
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