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Cut-off of Electricity for Eco-Migrants and IDPs

April 10, 2008

Maka Malakmadze, Batumi

Eco-migrants and Abkhazian IDPs residing in the building of the Hospital for Drug-Addiction have not been without electricity already now for two months. The reason for the problems is unpaid electricity bills “arrears” for the building. There are 22 eco-migrant and 26 IDP families living there in the darkness for now.

Residents claim the electricity supply had been cut before Koba Subeliani, the Georgian Minister of Refugees and Accommodation visited them. However, his visit came much later than when the electricity was actually cut. “We did not complain about the electricity with the minister arrived as we had been supplied with the electricity the proceeding three days. However, by coincidence or not, and as soon as he ended his visit the electricity was again cut off. We are still suffering in total darkness as a result,” said IDP Eka Esebua.

The building of former Hospital for Drug-Addiction in Adjara Autonomous Republic had 17 thousand GELS as a debt for electricity. The local government paid 12 thousand out of the total debt. The Power Distribution Company then demanded the residents to pay the rest of the debt. “They said we should collect the rest of the money and pay. How can we pay that money? They did not even agree to divide up the debt for several months,” said Mzia Jakheli.

People who arrived from mountainous districts of Adjara Autonomous Republic cannot enjoy electricity vouchers because they do not have concrete address when they reside. “We have vouchers and can pay some part of the debt from them. However, we cannot use the vouchers because we are not registered at that address.” Eco-migrants have requested to register the accommodations in their names for this purpose. It was the Ministry of Labor and Health Protection of the Adjara Autonomous Republic that settled them in the building two years ago.

 

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