PYATIGORSK, June 15 (Itar-Tass) — The Russian government has no plans to merge the North Caucasian and Southern Federal districts or change their borders, Russian president’s envoy to the North Caucasian Federal District Alexander Khloponin told reporters in Pyatigorsk on Thursday.
“These are only discussions at the expert level. This is not discussed at the level of the president and the prime minister,” Khloponin said. According to him, that move would be irrational first of all because it would necessitate the revision of work organized in these regions and all their programs.
He also dismissed rumors about cancellation of the state program for the development of the North Caucasus. “Nobody has cancelled it, simply the federal targeted program for Chechnya has been completed, it is being finished in Ingushetia and will be soon completed in southern Russia. And there is the question - what shall we do next. Do we need separate federal targeted programs for Dagestan and Karachai-Cherkessia,” he explained.
Focusing on tariffs and debts for gas and electricity, Khloponin noted that the situation in the federal district is difficult and even critical in some of its regions, in Dagestan in particular. “Plans are to create energy police. We must look into who consumers gas,” he said.
Meanwhile, an interdepartmental commission is being set up in the region jointly with the Gazprom gas giant, the Interregional Distribution Grid Company and the Federal Grid Company to look into the problem.