NOVO-OGAREVO, September 2 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin pledged to help Ryazan peasants, who suffered from drought. The Russian premier has made a statement at a meeting with Governor of the Ryazan Region Oleg Kovalev on Friday.
The Ryazan Region is traditionally among the five top regions leading in the grain harvest level, Kovalev said. “This year the drought affected us again, the rains were falling all around, but the drought hit Ryazan. It was a great pity to see good, clean fields, but the grain head is weak, and as a result we will harvest a total of one million tonnes of grain,” he said, adding that the normal grain harvesting level is 1.5 million tonnes in the region. “Therefore, I will also ask the agriculture minister so that we will meet and discuss which regional and federal measures should be taken to support our peasants, because they also took credits and should repay them and etc, so that we will prepare well for the next year,” the governor noted. “Well, let’s see then how to help your peasants so that they will finally overcome this stripe (the black stripe in the life),” Putin pledged.
Kovalev also noted that the region had taken the measures for modernization of education. “The education system was completely optimized, including the infant school system and the secondary education system. As a result of this optimization the salary of teachers increased by 30% since September 1. Finally, the current salary at several schools is actually the average salary in the region. At several schools (not at all schools: all the same several schools are intended for few students) these systems of bonuses are less efficient,” the governor said.