Citizens At The Doors of Bureaucrats – We Are Not Dying of Hunger But Please Do Not Kill Us By Natural Disaster
April 26, 2010
Maka Malakmadze, Adjara
“The house is dangerous to live in and inhabitants shall be resettled,” this is the conclusion about the house of Memed Datunaishvili, resident of the village of Leghva in Kobuleti district. However, the municipality agencies put the conclusion on the shelf. Because of lack of funds, the family has to continue living in one part of the house which was not destroyed by the natural disaster.
According to the visual engineer-geological conclusion made by the national agency of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Georgia, the first category has been granted to the Datunaishvilis since December of 2008; the family still lives in the damaged house.
One of the petitions of the family reads: “We have been under threat of natural disaster for many years. Corresponding institutions did not pay attention to us either after the geological conclusion or before it. More precisely, compensation has not been allocated on our family. I visit the Kobuleti district administration and municipality board almost every week. However, I hear only promises from them. They said they are waiting a reply from Ramaz Jincharadze – the head of the refugee and accommodation department of Adjara Autonomous Republic to allocate money. Ramaz Jincharadze is aware of my situation, however nothing is changed. My family still faces the threat of the natural disaster.”
Half of the Datunaishvilis’ house destroyed during the funeral of their family member on March 24, 2009. Fortunately, the people managed to escape the disaster and nobody was injured. The family of 7 members belongs to the category of the socially disabled. Their income is the allowance for the socially disabled family and pension of the old sick family members.
“We are not dying of hunger, but, please, do not kill us by the natural disaster. During every rain we have to shelter our relatives. We have lived in similar situation for years already. The cracks on the basement and walls of the house are getting larger and larger. How long can we live in similar situation? I know that the government has envisaged compensation for the families like us, but it does not make any sense if we do not get it because of different officials. When shall we receive the compensation, when somebody is injured?” asked Khatuna Datunaishvili.
According to the Datunaishvilis, Ramaz Jincharadze told them the commission shall
hold the meeting in order to allocate compensation to the family.
“However, they have not held the commission meeting for years already. “We will meet next week,” “the meeting will be at the end of the next week,” they permanently lie to us.”
The family has petitioned to the chairman of the government of Adjara autonomous republic Levan Varshalomidze for help; however, neither he responded to their petition.
“If Levan Varshalomidze does not respond to our petition, we will have to petition to the president of Georgia; finally we will believe that the Adjara government is inactive and inattentive towards their population. Then, we will start hunger-strike in front of the Adjara government building,” said Khatuna Datunaishvili.
The Human Rights Center has asked the Kobuleti district governor Vasil Tavartkiladze to comment on the situation of the Datunaishvilis. Taktakishvili sent them to his deputy Aslan Kurshubadze because he has been on holiday since April 12. The spokesperson of the district administration Natia Zoidze did not know that the governor was on holiday.
Aslan Kurshubadze admitted that the Datunaishvilis face real threat. “Several procedures shall be taken and when the money is transferred to the district administration, we will give them the compensation. They are in a very dangerous situation but commission cannot hold meeting only about the problem of one family,” said Kurshubadze. He said the Kobuleti district administration has sent the list of 36 families to the refugee and accommodation department of Adjara autonomous republic.
The head of the department Ramaz Jincharadze does not make comments on the fact. He said he would make comments only after the commission will hold the meeting together with Levan Varshalomidze.
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