I. Metshin participates in United Russia primaries

(KZN.RU, April 4, by Zilya Gafiyatullina) Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin spoke at the preliminary internal United Russia party vote about the main concerns of the Kazan electorate and the ideas that, in his opinion, should be included in the party program before the coming elections to the State Council of Tatarstan. The primary will determine candidates for subsequent nomination as party candidates for the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan.

"In order to assess the changes in the last five years, there is no need to read the reports; it is enough to remember how it was before and how it is now," said Ilsur Metshin, adding, "Projects are successful only as long as they are not just notions of individual officials, but reflect real needs of the people."

According to surveys, a few years ago, the biggest problems of Kazan were the traffic jams, bad roads, poor public transportation service, substandard residential areas, leaking roofs, decaying historical center, lack of sports facilities and places in preschools.  According to the Mayor, these problems have been partially solved and continue to be addressed. "Each of these problems seemed to be insurmountable. There were not enough funds in the budget to address these issues, but when the government, business community and society work as a team, no problem is unsolvable," said Ilsur Metshin.

Among the tools which made the progress possible the Mayor named the public-private partnership that helped out, for example, in the situation in the historical center of the city and the greening. The new municipal regulations helped improve public transportation and advertisement placement. The Mayor also recalled the importance of the Universiade, which contributed to the development of the capital of Tatarstan. "The Universiade became a silver bullet, thanks to which 228 billion rubles were invested in the Tatarstan capital, and many acute problems were solved. This financial support accelerated the development of the city. It is not by chance that the taxes collected in Kazan annually have increased by 77% to 92 billion rubles in the last five years," said I. Metshin.

According to the Mayor, in recent years, the city has made considerable improvements of the road infrastructure. According to the residents themselves, the traffic congestion has been relieved considerably in Kazan. The city appearance has also changed: there are new roads, and all areas without exception have newly planted greenery. A third of the city courtyards has been beautified: 100 thousand large trees, 30 thousand shrubs and five million flowers have been planted. According to Ilsur Metshin, the next phase of city development will be the formation of large green areas, including those on the waterfronts. The territory around Lake Kharovoye is scheduled to be improved by City Day.  The Mayor of Kazan noted in particular the "Five Year Plan of Health Improvement" that the city had fulfilled in three years.

President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov played an invaluable role in the development of the city in all its aspects. "His strategic approach is reflected in the programs of school renovation and the "Belekech", whereby nearly all Kazan children over three years of age gained places in preschools. In addition, the federal road map, launched in the republic, will provide another 28 new preschools in Kazan," said Ilsur Metshin .

The Mayor also raised a number of urgent issues. "The city is facing serious problems; among the priorities are the development of an integrated system of traffic management in conjunction with the new master plan and construction of a new sewage pumping station, without which the development of the northern part of the city and the opening of the renewed Admiralty area would be impossible,"  he said.

According to the Mayor, it is necessary to ensure full transparency in the housing sector and continue to implement the "Five Year Plan of Health Improvement" and the "Green Record" project. Among other urgent tasks, the Mayor named road repairs and old preschool renovation, as well as development of Kazan's environs and putting the storm sewer system in order.

In conclusion, Ilsur Metshin compared Kazan to a mountain climber reaching one summit after another. "Our main goal is a harmonious development of the city to ensure health, safety and well-being of its residents, as well as strengthening inter-ethnic and inter-religious peace," said the Mayor.