Deputy Minister Promised Humanrights.ge to Immediately Study Problems of IDPs Residing in Koda

Manon Bokuchava, Kvemo Kartli

448 families of IDP families live in Koda village of Tetritskaro district. Families from Eredvi village, Tskhinvali and Liakhvi Gorge were resettled there in November-December of 2008. IDPs say district administrations do not pay proper attention to them.

“Our administrations moved to Gori. So, we have to travel there to complain about every problem. Besides transportation expenses, the problem is that nobody assists us there,” IDPs from Koda told humanrights.ge.

They said the settlement has several domestic problems at the moment. “First of all, our problem is roofs of residential houses. Rain leaks into the buildings # 8 and 5. In winter, when snow melts on the roof, the water leaks into the building. Other residential houses also have this problem. There are more than 2 kilometers to school. Besides that, children have to cross motorway in front of the settlement to get to school; there is heavy traffic movement there. We have petitioned to local authority several times on this and other problems but we hear only their promises so far,” IDP Inga Tserediani said; she has three children.

An activist of the Georgian Dream Onise Euashvili speaks about some other problems. He said before and sometimes even after elections IDPs have been threatened. 

“During election period, zonder-groups – made up by mentors of residential houses - intimidated people and did not allow that time opposition party representatives to meet people. Former MP from the National Movement Badri Basishvili was leader of zonder groups. Now those people are still active here and IDPs are afraid. Their influence on people has not finished yet. For example, a kindergarten shall be opened in the settlement in December. And members of this zonder-group select employees for it. Nobody plans to employ IDP people with relevant working experience there,” said Onise Euashvili.

Deputy Minister of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees Mamuka Tsotniashvili told humanrights.ge that he is ready to study every problem of IDPs in Koda. “I did not have information about these problems so far but I promise you I will start working on them today. I think it will not be difficult to resolve problem of roofs and school-children’s safety. As for the issue of zonder-groups, I am ready to meet those citizens, who provided you with this information.”

Humanrights.ge wrote about problems of IDPs living in Koda settlement before parliamentary elections too. Local mentors and employees of Eredvi village administration tried to control us working in the settlement. They tried to convince us that journalists needed permission to work there. Mentors also inquired about comments of IDPs to us. You can read our article about this fact on the following link.  “So, elections are approaching and there is no other way for them to cajole us”.

Photo of humanrights.ge: IDP Inga Tserediani with her children from Koda settlement