MOSCOW REGION, July 1 (RIA Novosti) - The government has put aside 32 billion rubles ($1.2 bln) for demographic projects, President Vladimir Putin said Saturday.
The president also said that the government had also earmarked 50 billion rubles ($1.9 bln) for social funds and called for control over their proper use.
Demographic problems dominated the president's May 10 state of the nation address, when he said the population, which stood at roughly 145 million in a 2002 census, was falling by 700,000 people a year and instructed the government to give women at least 250,000 rubles ($9,200) each as financial aid following the birth of a second child.
