The Legislative Assembly of the Irkutsk region adopted amendments sharply cutting funding for 28 regional target programs for 2008 to 2009 by 4.7 billion rubles, or 70 percent of the planned amount. Social support, programs for disabled children, preschool education, small business and ecology were cut, as well as some projects to modernize utility infrastructure, which already threatens to halt heating construction in several cities. At the same time, a new regional agriculture development program for 2009 to 2012 was approved, but its annual funding was also reduced by 715 million rubles because of the crisis.

Amendments to reduce funding for regional targeted programs for 2008–2009 were adopted at a session of the Legislative Assembly of the Irkutsk Region on Saturday. Reductions in funding will affect 28 programs.
They will be cut by 4.7 billion rubles, or 70% of the previously planned amounts. The cuts will affect programs for social support of the population, prevention of neglect, social protection and rehabilitation of people with disabilities, as well as support for children with disabilities. For example, spending on the program to support and develop preschool education institutions in 2009 will be reduced from 300.2 million rubles to 50.8 million.
In particular, changes in the program “Modernization of the region’s municipal infrastructure facilities for 2007–2010” from 448 million rubles to 381.9 million rubles will lead to the suspension of construction of heat supply facilities in Bodaibo, Ust-Kut, and Biryusinsk.
Funding for programs supporting small business, forest regeneration, environmental protection, and rural social development will also be reduced.
Also at the session, the program for the development of agriculture in the Irkutsk Region for 2009–2012 was adopted. A total of 13.5 billion rubles is planned to be spent on implementing the program, including 27.6% from the regional budget, 22.5% from the federal budget, and 50% from extrabudgetary sources. Previously, 1 billion rubles had been planned for the program in 2009; due to the crisis, funding for the year has been reduced by 715 million rubles.