Valeri Kopaleishvili: “In Winter Every IDP Will Live in Warm”

Tako Khutsishvili

Many people face extra problems in winter in Georgia. Upcoming winter is associated with increased electricity bills and general domestic problems for most people in our country. The situation is especially difficult for IDPs and impoverished people. Neither retired people are happy with winter; their pension is lower than living wage. Residents of small villages also face serious problems in winter. In short, for the most part of Georgian population approaching winter is reason for many problems. We inquired whether the state has worked out any special programs for the population for winter.
 
Impoverished People or People beyond Poverty Level

According to the data of the Agency for Social Subsidies 537 523 families are registered in the data base of socially disabled families. Since 2006, the Agency started to aid impoverished people with allowances. For one-member family the allowance is 30 GEL and 24 GEL is added for each member. Head of Social Programs Department Givi Chiviashvili stated the families which apply to the agency can involve the state program.

Givi Chiviashvili: “On the first stage the families apply to us; then they fill in special application forms. The applications are stored in the data base of the social agency; afterwards social agents examine the families on the place. The declarations on families are filled in which are created based on various criteria estimated by statistic methods. Declarations include information about the income of the family, physical conditions of the family members, condition of the accommodation, expenses of the family, property of the family. All this information influence estimation of the rating points.”

People beyond poverty level enjoy two sorts of aid. It is money allowance and medical insurance. Today, money allowances and medical insurance policy are granted to the families with the points less than 57 001; the families with the points less than 70 000 get only medical insurance.

Member of the Parliamentary Committee of Healthcare and Social Issues Magda Anikashvili thinks some shortcomings are observed in the state program because of its methodology.

“Difference between those people who involved and could not involve the program is very little. There are frequent cases when a person cannot involve the program because s/he has a TV-set, curtain or some other item of furniture. Maybe a person lives in the house inherited from the grandfather in the village but it does not mean anything. The point is that the person does not have income. Thus, the Christian – Democrat Party requested to evaluate the families based on their incomes and not based on their property.”

Givi Chiviashvili said incorrect information is spread about evaluation system. “Neither TV-set nor fridge mean anything separately. They are items which are mentioned in the declaration. It is wrong claiming that TV-set increases points. It does mean anything.”

The social program will continue for impoverished people in winter too but there is not any special program for them for winter. Head of Social Department said if additional single project is implemented, the Social Agency will contribute to it either.

Christian-Democrats have different opinion about social programs. Magda Anikashvili thinks the 150 million GEL allocated for social programs are distributed unreasonably.

Magda Anikashvili: “The poverty reduction program was really necessary because big part of people turned out to be impoverished. But it is not right to give allowances to one million people every month which is not enough for them. It is not a good job. In parallel to it, we should create working places and it will not be wasted money.”

Internally Displaced People

Besides socially disabled people, winter has become problem for IDPs from the August War. Although last year the ministry built cottages for them in 2 months, it did not resolve their problems.

Magda Anikashvili: “Like last year the winter will be difficult for IDPs residing in the villages of Tserovani, Khurvaleti, Metekhi, Mokhisi in Shida Kartli region. As the cottages were built in a hurry, every condition of the construction was not preserved. Huge sums were spent but what is the result? I have personally seen the cracked walls of the cottages; rain is leaking in the houses; the settlements do not have rubbish damps. In such situation the winter will be difficult for them.

“Besides that, we have problems in the nutrition of children. With the support of humanitarian organizations they received food but this program finished and infants remained without food.”

Anikashvili thinks the IDPs will have health problems with upcoming winter too. “There is not medical office in every settlement. The IDPs were attached to the out-patients of the nearest villages but Mokhisi is very far from the settlement and IDPs cannot go to the out-patient.”

Valeri Kopaleishvili, head of administrative department of the Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation, said every IDP will live in warm cottage in winter. “Nowadays every IDP lives in cottage. They get IDP allowances and have medical insurance. Each IDP living in the collective centers gets 22 GEL; IDPs in private settlements get 28 GEL. The IDPs who are involved in poverty reduction program enjoy medical insurance. Every IDP gets food and it will continue in winter too. The state was covering their communal bills; this program will continue but some quotas will be estimated like 100 kilowatts free for each person. If IDPs have stoves they will get fire-wood. Everybody will live in warm.”

Valeri Kopaleishvili does not exclude that there are problems too. “Of course we have problems. Several houses had faults on it and it is not strange because they were built in short time. Nevertheless, most houses are in good conditions. There are contract guarantees. If the building breached something technically he is obliged to improve the faults. I know which settlements have problems. We collect information and inform the building companies about it. We have not finished fencing of settlements. IDPs do not have sheds; they have employment problems too but we will resolve all problems eventually.”

According to Kopaleishvili, the state does not forget old IDPs either. Since January of 2009, the ministry started working on new system of assistance for them.

Valeri Kopaleishvili said according to the plan, “collective centers of IDPs will be repaired, reconstructed and registered on IDPs.”