Penza, 25 March 2014. PenzaNews. The members of the Legislative Assembly of the Penza region voted for the establishment of a public position of a commissioner for children's rights in the region and the creation of the cabinet, providing his activities. The decision was made during the 16th session held on Tuesday, March 25.

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Relevant bills were introduced to the deputies by the head of the governor’s staff department and the government of the Penza region Viktor Rubtsov.

He explained that the change in the law are in conformity with the national strategy for children in 2012-2017.

Viktor Rubtsov said that, according to the amendments to be made, the commissioner and his staff are becoming a public authority of the Penza region possessing the rights of a legal entity.

Before the vote, the deputy of United Russia, the member of the committee on budgetary, fiscal and financial policies Sergei Egorov wondered if the practice when the commissioner for children's rights was the deputy commissioner for human rights, and they shared the cabinet.

Viktor Rubtsov explained that the change was necessary for two reasons.

“Perhaps, this is certain ineffectiveness. And secondly, this is consulting with the federal government,” he said.

Sergei Egorov said that the creation of the new cabinet raises a number of questions due to overall economy.

According to Viktor Rubtsov, there are plans for further amendments involving unification of three commissioners [on human rights, children's rights, and entrepreneurs' rights] into a single unit.

“Currently we are considerring the way to do it. The experiences of Ulyanovsk and other cities are studied. The costs will be reduced accordingly. But the commissioner is a state position, and he will be stated separately,” the head of the governor’s staff department and the government of the Penza region said.

In turn, the chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the region Ivan Belozertsev noted that currently there are only eight regions of the Russian Federation, where the commissioner for children's rights is the deputy commissioner for human rights.

“Over the past two years, Pavel Astakhov [president plenipotentiary on children's rights] appealed to the leadership of the Penza region, and to me as speaker of the regional parliament. We turned him down, but it is probably the time to look in this direction, so that the commissioner for children's rights could interact with the federal center and even more actively with the Legislative Assembly, the representative bodies, civil structures,” Ivan Belozertsev explained his point of view.