IDPs Demand Accommodation

“We have been turned into IDPs and this trauma will last till our death. We do not want to leave our lodgings for the second time not knowing where we should spend night. We dream about our own houses,” said Giorgi Beraia, IDP from Gagra. He is eighty years old and has been dreaming about stable accommodation for fourteen years, already. He has been given a promise to lodge him in a new flat and leave Tskaltubo resort-house Iveria, in vain.

There are 22 resort-houses in Tskaltubo District with nearly 6,000 IDPs in it. Famous and less famous investors have frequently visited the district regarding the purchase of the resort-houses. However, exile process of the IDPs has not started yet. “Our future depends on the kind will of investors: if s/he buys the building, s/he will pay us the money and we will leave the place. However, the amount of money has not been settled yet. If they pay us too minimal price, we will not be able to buy some new accommodation. They are talking about 7 or 10 thousand dollars and they are not very much willing to give us that sum. In fact, we will be able to buy only a one-room flat with that sum nowadays. I think an old man like me has a right to die in his own house and not in a resort house,” said Mr. Giorgi. [according to the Georgian president’s decree, alternative flat for the IDP, which is offered by the investor will be private property for IDPs].

The Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation got interested in the issue of exiling the refugees from the resort-houses early last year. Under Minister’s order, two-member groups were made up to examine living conditions of IDPs in various regions of the country. The result of the examination should have been before the New Year. According to Temur Kukhalashvili, Deputy Gamgebeli of Tskaltubo District, who is also in charge of IDP problems, “Neither District Authority nor Imereti Region Administrative Board is against exiling the IDPs from the resort-houses. Regional Administration found out the information about the flats which are sold in Kutaisi and other districts. There is also a list of constructing block of flats which investor can purchase to lodge IDPs from one resort house in it. There is one more idea: Investor might buy a land and build similar houses on it. Last year we met living conditions of IDPs, we heard their complaints and finally we estimated that they were not against leaving the resort house in exchange of money to buy a flat.”

“We do not have to be exiled unreasonably,” the IDPs said and except a kind investor. However, they do not want to hear useless promises anymore. As for investors, they cannot hide excitement seeing the beauty of Tskaltubo scenery. They do want to invest in the resort, however, soon the excitement passes by and the only remaining problem is to sell the resort houses for good price.

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi