A new luxury, suburban electric train running between Karaganda and Astana was launched on June 6, according to the Passenger Transport company as cited by Today.kz. The train, No. 831/832, departs from Karaganda at 7:34 p.m., arrives in Astana at 10:45 p.m. Departs from Astana at 07:20 a.m. and arrives in Karaganda at 10:20 a.m. The Karaganda-Astana electric train includes three first-class carriages, three second-class carriages and two third-class carriages. Fare in the first-class carriages is 1,183 tenge (US$6.45), second class carriages cost 1,102 (US$6.01) tenge and third-class costs915 tenge (US$4.99). Since June 9, the frequency of trains No. 805/806 from the Astana-resort Burabai Okzhetpes has also increased.
It is planned to build in Kazakhstan 29 new water reservoirs, Minister of Environment and Water Resources Nurlan Kapparov said at a June 4 Central Communications Service (CCS) briefing. “A detailed plan of reconstruction and repair of waterworks and reservoirs for 2014-2016 has been prepared. The plan envisages the construction of 29 water reservoirs,” he said. In addition, it is planned to clean river beds, construct 25 gauging stations on trans-boundary rivers. “Work on cleaning and sanitation of 20 lakes in protected areas will be held for the first time in Kazakhstan, too,” Kapparov added. Modernisation and overhaul of more than 2,700 kilometres of main and distribution channels is planned as well.
Diverse support measures are being taken to ensure successful implementation of the Programme on Modernisation of the Municipal Solid Waste Management System till 2050 and to involve private business into the process. As Minister of Environment and Water Resources of Kazakhstan Nurlan Kapparov said at a June 4 Central Communications Service (CCS) briefing, a consolidated municipal solid waste management centre will be established by the Zhasyl Damu company to coordinate cooperation between the government and private sector. “This will help to improve coordination of cooperation between the local executive bodies, investors and waste collecting companies, which made the waste recycling plants shut down,” Kapparov emphasised. Another measure is public-private partnership contracts that make such projects profitable and attractive for private companies. The minister noted that the key element to implement public-private partnerships is the term of contracts varying from 15 to 30 years, which guarantees payback for investors.
The contest, “State Language in Public Service,” among the employees of the Prosecutor’s Office was held May 30. As Deputy Prosecutor General Zhakip Assanov noted in his welcome speech, the functioning of the state language is one of the important directions in the policy conducted by the state. Therefore, the main goal of the contest is support of the language policy of the country and the promotion and expansion of the application of the Kazakh language in state bodies. Nineteen teams took part in the contest and each of them demonstrated a high level of knowledge of the language and its application in their professional activity. The results of the contest were summed up by the jury consisting of representatives of the President’s Office, Supreme Court, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Justice, Prosecutor General Office and former employees of the prosecutor general bodies. Participants have noted that the contest has become important to the implementation of the policy of the Head of State to develop and expand the role of the state language.
The Unified National Test (UNT) was held June 2, 4 and 6 in the Gumilyev Eurasian National University, Seifullin Kazakh Agricultural University and Kazakh Humanitarian Law University in Astana. According to the Education Department of Astana, of the 4,042 people who took the test, 3,252 passed which represents 80.5 percent of the total number of graduates. Seven-hundred-ninety(19.5 percent) passed the final state exams, including 362 students who were the winners of international Olympiads and science competitions. According to preliminary data, 90 students confirmed the Altyn Belgi (Golden Award) sign. Twenty-three received honours. The average level of passing the UNT in Astana is 87.58 points. In 2013, it was 81.3 points. One-thousand-eighty-one, or 33.2 percent, got between 100 and 124 points. Final results will be available by June 15.
