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Throughout the Country: All-Russia People's Front Proposes to Expand the “Far Eastern Hectare” Program

On Tuesday, December 19, members of the All-Russia People’s Front Action Forum have proposed to extend the “Far Eastern Hectare” program all over the country. The organization also considered it necessary to provide for a mechanism under which the plots will be provided without the resale rights, but with the possibility of transmission by inheritance. Russia Today tried to find out which regions are ready to join the program.


Region Primorye. RIA Novosti

It is proposed to expand the “Far Eastern Hectare” program throughout the country. Such an initiative was made by the participants of the All-Russia People’s Front Action Forum “Russia looking into the future”. The appeal will be submitted to the government. It is assumed that each region will take a decision to participate in the program independently.

All-Russia People’s Front noted that is necessary to provide a mechanism for the establishment of settlements, consisting of plots of land provided to citizens of Russia without the resale rights, but with the possibility of transmission by inheritance. Thus, people will have the opportunity to create not just housing, but “small homeland”.

The expert of All-Russia People’s Front, member of the rural settlement of Irkutsk Oblast Maria Pelmeneva notes that land could be allocated under private construction. The majority of Russians don’t want to live in the apartment, because they want to live in their own houses, she says.

“Our country lags far behind other countries close to us in climatic conditions: in Canada, 79% of the population live in low-rise buildings, USA — 92%, Europe — 80%. About a third of the population in Russia lives in these homes. At the same time, according to the results of the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), more than 60% of Russian citizens prefer to live in a detached house and less than 30% in a separate apartment,” — Pelmeneva said. 

RIA Novosti
 

Now, according to the “Far Eastern Hectare” program, it is possible to acquire land in Primorsky, Khabarovsk and Kamchatka Krai, Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Yakutia, Magadan, Amur and Sakhalin Oblasts.

There is a possibility to build a house or warehouse, to open a shop or plant a vegetable garden in a selected area.

The plot can be issued in a property after five years since acquiring, provided that the land was used for the purpose intended. 

In the process of starting the “Far Eastern Hectare” program was developed a unique mechanism for the transfer of land for temporary use: the registration time was reduced from three years to one month, said the head of the media relations of Far East Human Capital Development Agency Julia Shatina. According to her, namely this mechanism should be replicated all over the country, and not the entire program that must be implemented only in areas with low population density.

“This innovation on issuance of land plots worth to be widely applied. Literally within a month everyone will be able to get a plot via the Internet. But strategically, launching a program with the enormous support of the state benefits, it is worth doing only in such territory as the Far East. They need new residents, it is necessary to increase the number of residents in order to be competitive. The Far East is a third of the territory of our country, with a population of only 6.2 million people,” she said.

One of the most sparsely populated regions of the country — the Krasnoyarsk territory, ready to engage in a program similar to the “Far Eastern Hectare” program, if it is will approved by the state. This was stated by the head of administration of the Krasnoyarsk Governor Sergey Ponomarenko. He stressed that not all the vacant land suitable for development.

“Such an initiative would not work in the North of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. On the other hand, we have the southern regions, highly suitable for agriculture, so it is possible that this program would give a good effect. Nevertheless, it is necessary to do a comprehensive analysis, in order to give some kind of conclusion about this. If the initiative will be supported, I think we could be involved in the implementation of this program,” Ponomarenko concluded.

According to the Aleksey Orlov (Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Use of Natural Resources and Environmental Security, Legislative Assembly of the region), Karelia is ready to join the program. However, he noted that first of all it is necessary to give a hectare of land to local residents; it will facilitate their employment.

“We have a lot of derelict land. But the land is very desirable: many people are involved in farming. They raise chickens, pigs. Some people are trying to raise ostriches. The southern part of Karelia, which is closer to the Leningrad Oblast will be very popular. Because there is a good climate for growing vegetables and other crops, as well as there is the possibility to participate in fishing activities on the Ladoga Lake,” — said Aleksey Orlov. 

He stressed that it should be remembered about necessity of preservation of the environment and ecology in the Republic in the issuance of land for any business.

An example of the Far East is interesting for densely populated regions. Next year the Kaliningrad Oblast will begin to implement similar experiences independently. This was reported by the Governor Anton Alikhanov. 

“We take it positively, we've been working on this issue. We already had the experience even before the experience with the Far East, for example in the Novgorod Oblast. We look at this experience, and we do have mobile the municipalities, which is scheduled to begin to work out this system next year,” Anton Alikhanov said.

Coast Of Crimea /globallookpress.com / © Serguei Fomine/Russian Look

According to the Ministry for Development of Russian Far East, most areas are taken in order to build a house or to farm. That is why the Crimea should be included in the program for the distribution of free land, considers the inhabitant of Khabarovsk territory Sergey Popkov, who recently has taken part in “Far Eastern Hectare” program. According to him, the most favorable conditions are on the Peninsula of Crimea.

“I'd look at the coast of the Crimea. Many people want plots near the water, especially near the sea. The wishes are the same as in the Far East: beautiful nature, normal infrastructure, electricity, good conditions for the development of agricultural and tourism business, availability of transport. Of course, demand will be high,” — Popkov said. 

According to the law, “Far Eastern hectare” is available for free use for five years. The area should be free from rights of third parties and should be in free circulation. After five years, provided the development of land it will be possible to rent or get a property. From June 1, 2016 only residents of the far Eastern Federal district could apply the application for land, and from February 2017 plots are available to any resident of Russia. According to the Ministry for development of Russian Far East, 40% of applicants on “Far Eastern hectare” planning to build there private houses, about 23% are planning to deal with agriculture, nearly 15% — gardening, about 14% — to develop recreational projects, about 9% — to start business. As at August 2017, 99 thousand applications have been filed for hectare of land. Especially popular are plots in the Khasan district of Primorsky Krai. About 22 thousand applications were received from people in remote Far East areas. In the top 5 of such regions are Moscow and Moscow region — their inhabitants have been filed almost 3 thousand applications. About 1 thousand applications were received from St. Petersburg. Completing the top five leaders the Sverdlovsk Oblast and Krasnodar Krai. But still the biggest number of applications was filed by the residents of the Far Eastern regions. To date, Russia has also implemented a program to support beginning farmers, according to which every entrepreneur can apply for participation in the competition, and if the Commission chooses one of the winners, he will receive a grant for the development of farms and one-time assistance to domestic arrangement. Thus, farmers planning to start breeding cattle, can receive from the state up to 3 million rubles, the rest — up to 1.5 million rubles. In addition, this year has increased the amount of grants for development of family livestock farms (up to 30 million rubles).

Source: Russia Today — https://russian.rt.com/russia/article/462120-onf-dalnevostochnyi-gektar-regiony