Rostov Regional Union "Chernobyl" demands from federal authorities to return benefits to Chernobyl liquidators

The Union has sent an appeal to Russian President and Prime Minister demanding the return of benefits. The appeal claims that housing problems of the liquidators of the Chernobyl accident are not solved, pensions and welfare benefits were reduced, and several liquidators were discriminated.

As of today, as Alexander Filippenko, Chairman of the Union, asserts, about 3000 Chernobyl liquidators from the Rostov Region are on the waiting list to improve their housing conditions; and pensions to widows of deceased liquidators were reduced significantly. Whereas earlier a Chernobyl liquidator, who became invalid, had the right to get social housing; and the widows of liquidators received 50 percent of their deceased husbands' pensions, the Union has stated.

Besides, the Union has demanded to stop discrimination of regular officers, who were working at liquidating the accident consequences. According to the authors of the appeal, pensions to liquidators are calculated based on the average salary. "While officers, who worked together with us, get pennies. We demand that they are equated to us," the Rostov News Agency quotes Alexander Filippenko as saying.

The Rostov Region has over 6000 officially recognized invalids-liquidators.

"In fact, there are much more Chernobyl liquidators in the region. They do not get a penny and have no hope to ever get any benefits, in principle, since they can't prove that their current ailments are consequences of their stay at the nuclear power plant destroyed by the explosion," the "Arguments and Facts. Rostov-on-Don" quotes Alexander Filippenko.

The appeal to the Russian President and Prime Minister was sent on December 27; so far, there is no official reaction.