Penza, 8 August 2014. PenzaNews. The governor of the Penza region Vasily Bochkarev during a meeting with bloggers expressed his views on the Russian response to the sanctions, ways to fight corruption, as well as the problems that he intends to resolve if continues to work as the head of the region after 2015, when his fourth term ends.

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Opening the meeting, held in Penza center of culture and leisure on Thursday evening, August 7, Vasily Bochkarev said he was glad to see active Internet users who care about the small homeland.

“Padalkin is probably going to attack me now,” the governor joked, giving a word to Sergei Padalkin known for his opposition views, who was one of the most active regional organizers of the various protest actions before he was drafted in December 2012.

Sergei Padalkin asked the governor about the team of the former mayor of Penza Roman Chernov.

“I have a question. Currently, Roman Chernov is finally dismissed, we have long sought this, and I think most Penza residents support this. [...] When will the ‘Chernov Organized criminal group’ finally be disbanded? Today, his deputies continue to work, and the same rogues continue to climb in the deputy seats, I am not afraid of putting it this way — [CEO ‘Corporation Dilizhans’ Andrei] Fomin, [director of ‘Start-2005’ Sergei] Lisovol and others who, in fact, brought Penza to a kind of slavish place. That is paying for communal services and travel fare at high rates, and they cannot get enough, they are getting into the city budget. When this Chernov’s team, this ‘criminal group’ will be disbanded?” Sergei Padalkin outraged.

Responding to that, Vasily Bochkarev said that Yuri Krivov, who took the position of the head of administration of Penza in late July 2014, cannot up and dismiss all objectionable subordinates.

“If the head will try and make employees write statements [for dismissal], they are entitled to apply to law enforcement agencies and, above all, to the prosecutor, the court. And the court will defend those, who are suppressed by their superior, urged to write statements. Therefore, the question should not be put sharply. There should be reasons. Those who do not work, who are abusing official position, who are suspected of having corrupt connections — these are the people who should be dismissed, I believe. But the head of the administration needs time to deal with each person to whom you have a claim,” the governor said.

Speaking of Executive Order “On special economic measures to protect Russia's security,” Vasily Bochkarev suggested that under the new conditions entrepreneurs will be more reasonable than “buying jeeps worth 4-6 million rubles with concessional loans.”

“We had opportunities yesterday, and today we have even more. Let’s make gardens, let's plant berries, fruits, vegetables. Let’s not buy carrots and potatoes from Egypt, Israel, Germany and the Scandinavian countries. Maybe, we can ‘wake up’? Of course, the consumers are in difficult position now, but at the same time, it is possible to pull the plug on those countries with whom we have strained relations, and those who are more loyal to us will have an opportunity to deliver agricultural products,” the head of the region explained his point of view.

He expressed confidence that due to the response to the sanctions, grocery markets of Russia will not be affected.

Bloggers also wondered whether Vasily Bochkarev plans to go to the next — the fifth — governor term.

The head of the region explained that under the current circumstances, governors are kind of guarantees for foreign investors, so as the head of the region, he feels responsible for them.

“Foreign investors see Russia through the president and the governor. I will explain why. Our business is roguish. We cannot work together long enough after having built the business [...] Foreigners say: “You are very complicated partners, it is very difficult to run business with you, you are unreliable. Once you see profit, you see the money, you are looking for an opportunity to throw us out of business, take it away. Or when it comes to product supply, you may pay the first time, the second time, but the third time you take a larger volume and let us down,” Vasily Bochkarev said.

Listing the activities on which he would like to concentrate in the future, the governor outlined three main objectives.

“The first thing is to create high density in the construction business, primarily in housing construction. I see here a lot of jobs for people, where payment may be higher than in other industries — engineering, instrument engineering, electronics and so on. And through the construction business, wholesale and retail trade and services will develop. This is the first thing. Basically, I have been doing this,” the head of the region said.

According to him, he also dreams that the Penza region has become significant in the production and processing of milk.

“The third thing is a project that we have actually supported, it goes well — becoming, albeit not the first (there is such a desire, though), the second in the production of turkey and duck meat. We have no ducks produced on a commercial scale,” Vasily Bochkarev explained.

During the meeting, the governor also discussed the problems of Ukrainian refugees, the ways of interaction between government and civil society, demographic issues and other relevant topics.