Ministry of Environmental Protection is accused of ineffective use of International Grants
August 6, 2010
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources is accused of the misuse of international grants. The project – Eliminating the risks of expired pesticides in Kakheti Region - was financed by the Government of the Netherlands, yet the Georgian side practically failed to implement it.
The project covered the exportation of expired pesticides from Kakheti Region and the cleaning and restoration of the soil. However, in actuality, the only action was the removal of pesticide were in sacks. There are still poisonous chemicals left there that endanger the people, causing cancer and inborn defects, while polluting the water, food and air.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources was supposed to confirm the results of the project. The Agency of Chemical Substances and Remains should have controlled the activities covered by the project and supervised that the work was done properly and on time. The project was implemented by primary specialist, Khatuna Akhalaia. She was simultaneously receiving the salary of a project manager and Ministry official. This fact is a violation of paragraph 2, article 13 of the “Law on the conflict of interests and corruption in the public service, according to which a public official doesn’t have a right to perform any kind of stipendiary job, either scientific, pedagogical, or creative,’’ states the Young Lawyers Association’s lawyer, Tamar Kordzaia.
According to the project, the expired pesticides should have been located in the special material and exported abroad. But with Akhalaia’s permission, the strong poisonous substances were placed in flour sacks bought in Signagi Region, in the village of Daba Tsnori, and cost 45 tetri in one of the stores.
The complete journalistic investigation is available at: ick.ge/ka/jinvestigation/2296-2010-08-05-06-58-06.html
The journalistic investigation has been conducted by Kakheti Information Center with the support of the Eurasia fund and the EU.
The project covered the exportation of expired pesticides from Kakheti Region and the cleaning and restoration of the soil. However, in actuality, the only action was the removal of pesticide were in sacks. There are still poisonous chemicals left there that endanger the people, causing cancer and inborn defects, while polluting the water, food and air.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources was supposed to confirm the results of the project. The Agency of Chemical Substances and Remains should have controlled the activities covered by the project and supervised that the work was done properly and on time. The project was implemented by primary specialist, Khatuna Akhalaia. She was simultaneously receiving the salary of a project manager and Ministry official. This fact is a violation of paragraph 2, article 13 of the “Law on the conflict of interests and corruption in the public service, according to which a public official doesn’t have a right to perform any kind of stipendiary job, either scientific, pedagogical, or creative,’’ states the Young Lawyers Association’s lawyer, Tamar Kordzaia.
According to the project, the expired pesticides should have been located in the special material and exported abroad. But with Akhalaia’s permission, the strong poisonous substances were placed in flour sacks bought in Signagi Region, in the village of Daba Tsnori, and cost 45 tetri in one of the stores.
The complete journalistic investigation is available at: ick.ge/ka/jinvestigation/2296-2010-08-05-06-58-06.html
The journalistic investigation has been conducted by Kakheti Information Center with the support of the Eurasia fund and the EU.
Kakheti Information Center
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