LA Deputies of Irkutsk Region to approve indigenous peoples’ development programme

Source: http://bsn.irk.ru/?c=shownews&id=17142
15 December 2005

The target programme “Economic and social development of indigenous people in the Irkutsk Region until 2011” needs 27,885,000 roubles. The programme budget is split into two phases: the first (2006-2008) of 16,7 million roubles; the second (2009-2010) of 11,1 million roubles. This was made known by the head of the Department of Northern Affairs at the regional administration of governor Nikolay Jakovchenko, at a session of the Committee on Public Health Services and Social Security of the Legislative Assembly (LA) on 14 December 2005. The programme had earlier been discussed and approved by the Committee.

Nikolay Jakovchenko reported that the programme concerns 40 settlements in 8 districts of the Irkutsk Region, where two indigenous peoples are represented, the Tofa and Evenks, exceeding a total number of 1700. The programme tackles a number of challenges: improving the educational system and the teaching of children, spiritual and cultural development of indigenous people, and support for traditional crafts. Additionally, the programme is intended to partly finance some social facilities and to improve the transportation system in the areas where Evenks and Tofa live. Members of the LA committee recommended the programme to be accepted at the next (17^th) session of the regional parliament on 21 December 2005.