Despite bureaucrats' promises, parents continue hunger strike in Volgograd

In Volgograd, parents of many children who are holding a protest hunger strike have met state officials in the public reception room of Dmitry Medvedev and discussed the problems of education and social protection. The Minister of Education has promised them to solve the problems of payment for kindergartens.

Let us remind you that on September 23 12 parents of large families of Volgograd went on hunger strike trying to draw attention to the problem of maternity and childhood in the Volgograd Region and demand resignation of Governor Sergey Bozhenov.

According to Nikolai Shamaev, the protesters intend to continue their hunger strike. "We are all interested in the problem of housing, but we received no answer on this issue today," he told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. Currently, 9 hunger-strikers continue the protest.

Elena Samoshina, one of them, showed the bills for the kindergarten and said that starting September the Gorodische District cancelled the 70-percent compensation for kindergartens earlier paid to large families.

According to Alexander Korotkov, the Regional Minister of Education and Sciences, the compensation was not cancelled, but will be paid once a quarter. The hunger-strikers responded that they are not able to pay huge sums in advance and then wait for the compensation; then, Mr Korotkov proposed a quarterly deferment of payments.

The women-protesters also raised the issue of delays in paying children allowances.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that another group of people in Volgograd is on hunger strike from September 16 – these are mothers of children with disabilities, who demand to open a rehabilitation centre.