25 Soviet Union heroes and war veterans to keep full benefits
The European Radio for Belarus read through Zvyazda but also tried to count how many legitimate beneficiaries would remain 11 days later. The full benefits package will remain with the renowned Belarusians, including the Heroes of Belarus, Heroes of the Soviet Union, the Fatherland Order Knights and the Heroes of the Socialist Labor. According to Mikhail Zhukouski, the first deputy chairman of the National Veterans’ Council, those people could be counted on the fingers of one hand. He knows the statistics as of January 5, 2007, so he is not sure that the figures are precise.
“We had approximately 25 Heroes of the Soviet Union, two holders of the Fatherland Order decorations. You understand that they are 80-85 years old. They live today, but they could be gone tomorrow. There are 181 Heroes of the Socialist Labor”, Zhukouski says.
Thus, only one in four war veterans will keep their benefits.
The government has kept the benefits for the disabled people of the first and the second group. Ivan Nahibin, the head of veterans and elderly department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, told the European Radio for Belarus that there were around 345,000 people of this kind.
The Chernobyl-related people like liquidators and misplaced families are affected the most as they will stop being treated as beneficiaries. Uladzimir Kuzhanau, a member of the parliamentary commission on the Chernobyl accident issues, says that the disabled people of the first and the second groups will remain with their benefits.
“There are approximately 380 disabled persons of the first group and some 4000 of the second group. Disabled children associated with the Chernobyl accident amount to 1500 people”, Kuzhanau said.
But these people will get their assistance anyway regardless they were affected by the Chernobyl accidents. They will keep their benefits, because they are disabled.
Around 200,000 children presently live the area exposed to regular radiation checks. They will also keep their benefit to be entitled to free treatment at medical resorts.
It is interesting that the lawmaker was surprised to hear about those who suffered from the radiation sickness. He says that those people do not exist in Belarus.
“Radiation sickness is caused by a direct nuclear explosion. You are talking about something else in this case… You should not refer to such terms just because of the theory”.
Meanwhile, the European Radio for Belarus has counted roughly 625,000 people who should be entitled to social benefits. It means that one in ten has the right to benefits. At the same time, Ivan Nahibin, the head of veterans and elderly department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, names the figure of… two million people who qualify for benefits.
Photo — БУНТ
