The People's Program of the United Russia party will include initiatives for environmental protection and rural development.

      At the fifth regional reporting and program forum of the "United Russia" party "There is a result!" in Omsk, initiatives were formed for inclusion in the new People's Program of the party. The proposals concern the development of rural areas, the agro-industrial complex, ecology, youth policy, and support for participants of the special military operation, the party's press service reports. The Secretary of the General Council of the "United Russia" party, Vladimir Yakushev, emphasized at the plenary session that the comprehensive development of rural areas has always remained one of the key areas of the party's work. "But people should not only work in the countryside but also have the opportunity to spend their leisure time. This has always been one of the main tasks of the 'United Russia' party. Nothing changes, this priority remains," noted Vladimir Yakushev. Following five thematic round tables, forum participants developed specific proposals for the new People's Program. Among the initiatives are support for the agro-industrial complex and agritourism, improvement of rural areas, development of infrastructure, ecological agenda, support for participants of the special military operation, and development of youth policy. At the round table "Food Security and Agricultural Leadership," participants proposed to strengthen support measures for the agro-industrial complex and agritourism. In particular, it is about increasing the share of domestic seeds to 75%, as well as developing Russian breeding livestock – all meat cattle and more than 70% of dairy livestock should be raised in Russia. Experts also advocated for providing farmers with modern domestic equipment, supporting agricultural engineering, and companies processing Russian raw materials. Among the initiatives is the organization of agritours for schoolchildren based on existing farms. During the round table "Modern Village: Infrastructure, Housing, and New Quality of Life," issues of retaining qualified personnel in rural areas were discussed. Participants proposed to develop a "Strategy for the Development of Rural Areas" and create a catalog of standard improvement projects. Special attention was given to the adaptation of young specialists, the development of mentoring, projects "Agritech Classes" and "I in Agro," as well as attracting students through student brigades. Ecological initiatives were discussed at the "Ecology for Life" platform. In particular, participants proposed to create a full-fledged secondary raw materials market. "We need to create a full-fledged secondary raw materials market in the country, where both citizens and organizations will be interested in sorting and recycling waste," emphasized Ilya Leontyev, Deputy Secretary of the Tomsk Regional Branch of the "United Russia" party, member of the public council of the party project "Clean Country" in the Tomsk region, and first deputy chairman of the Tomsk City Duma. Initiatives for implementing a "survival standard" in forest restoration, developing ecological tourism, building modern treatment facilities, and rehabilitating water bodies were also discussed. Experts proposed to expand support for ecological volunteer movements and implement artificial intelligence technologies in environmental protection activities. At the round table "Heroes on Native Soil: Adaptation and Support for Participants of the Special Military Operation in the Countryside," it was proposed to organize a system of free training and retraining for veterans and their family members in in-demand rural specialties with subsequent guaranteed employment. In addition, there was an initiative for accelerated training of special military operation veterans for work as heads of rural settlements and municipal districts, as well as using their skills to manage agricultural drones. Participants of the round table "Youth Today: From Career Guidance in the Countryside to Ecological Leadership" advocated for the development of rural infrastructure for young specialists, expansion of rural mortgage programs, and provision of service housing with the possibility of preferential buyout. The development of sports, cultural, and youth infrastructure, as well as transport communication between rural areas, was also discussed separately. Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Patrushev stated at the end of the forum that the presented initiatives would be thoroughly worked out by the relevant ministries in collaboration with the party. He noted the importance of self-sufficiency in domestic seeds, the development of breeding livestock, and the modernization of rural infrastructure. Dmitry Patrushev also focused on initiatives for the development of agritourism, the creation of the "Agritour" school, and the development of the youth community "I in Agro." "We are always open to dialogue. 'United Russia' is our support and backing. I am confident that the party will continue to work for the benefit of the country and its citizens," he concluded. State Duma Deputy Ilya Wolfson, commenting on the ecological agenda of the forum, recalled the problems with waste disposal in Kazan in 2022-2023. "Overfilled containers, stench, parasites, a barrage of complaints from residents to 'Open Kazan' and fair harsh criticism from the city's mayor Ildar Metshin," noted the parliamentarian. According to Ilya Wolfson, it became clear then that the industry needed systemic changes in federal legislation. He reported that inspections of container sites, work on garbage trucks, and round tables involving relevant agencies, regional operators, management companies, and eco-activists were conducted to analyze the situation. The deputy emphasized the need to create a full-fledged secondary raw materials market. "Our experience in Tatarstan shows that people are ready for this. A great example is the 'Collection Point' project from the Kazan regional operator, which accepts more than 35 waste fractions. Initially, this seemed like an experiment, but today hundreds of people come there every day. They are willing to spend their time for ecology if provided with convenient infrastructure. Moreover, the Kazan city hall has already launched an unprecedented program to subsidize businesses engaged in recycling secondary raw materials," Ilya Wolfson reminded. He added that local successes are not enough. "The resource of the usual 'landfill' model is exhausted – only in Kazan, the volume of waste is growing by 10% per year. Landfills are filling up rapidly. Therefore, the inclusion of waste management initiatives in the People's Program of 'United Russia' is a signal to transition to a circular economy on a national scale," believes the State Duma deputy. Ilya Wolfson also spoke about a cross-faction bill that would allow regions to independently determine those responsible for maintaining container sites. "With seven nannies, the child should not be without a glance," he emphasized. In addition, the parliamentarian advocated for strict regulation of construction waste management and increased fines for illegal waste carriers. He paid special attention to the need to create eco-technoparks and a guaranteed sales system for products made from secondary raw materials. "Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev confirmed at the end of the forum that the relevant ministries will thoroughly work on the issue of separate collection and waste management. I am confident that the vast array of proposals and legislative initiatives we have gathered based on the real experience of Tatarstan will become a solid foundation for the ecological section of the new People's Program. It is time for us to stop extinguishing local 'waste fires' and build a transparent, functioning industry," concluded Ilya Wolfson. It is worth noting that the start of collecting proposals for the new People's Program of the party was announced by the chairman of "United Russia," Dmitry Medvedev, on February 19 at the first regional forum "There is a result!" in Yekaterinburg. The party plans to hold similar events in all federal districts. The final program will consist of two documents: an electoral program with specific solutions and a strategic document containing the ideological and value orientations of the party.

      Photo: tatarstan.er.ru