Guarantees of dignified old age were an essential duty of the state that aspired to the name of “social state”, Mr Putin said. He called on the Government to analyse and amend the legislation for thorough modernisation of the social sphere and for pensioners’ better life.
The President told ministers to urgently draft a federal bill improving the situation of people injured in childhood during warfare, and submit it to the State Duma for consideration. He demanded to grant such persons privileges equal to disabled war veterans’, as of July 1, 2004.
Mr Putin ordered to grant the status of WWII veterans to all people decorated for the defence of Leningrad but previously possessing no social guarantees. From then on, these 16,000 were entitled to state war veteran welfare privileges, with 300 million roubles from the federal budget earmarked for the purpose.