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Panic in Svaneti – Population Is Afraid to Lose Land

September 7, 2010
Tea Topuria, Mestia – Tbilisi

The Mestia district population is suspicious about the state program of the development of Zemo Svaneti region. The locals say the program is being implemented without negotiating the issues with locals. People are afraid that within the state program the government will seize their plots which they have inherited from their ancestors but have not registered yet.

The representatives of the Caucasian Environmental NGO Network (CENN) and the Human Rights Center (HRIDC) arrived in Mestia to study the situation on the place.

Dangerous Plan of Development in Mestia

There is a panic in Svaneti region. Although everything is in scaffolds in Mestia center and the construction process is going on rapidly, the locals are not very happy with it. The population complains that the government does not inform them about their plans. Nobody knows what are planned within the state program and who they should apply to in case of necessity. Consequently, the people cannot find answers to their many questions.

The situation got tense in Svaneti after August 7 when the representative of the local opposition Neli Naveriani and her three relatives were arrested as a result of the special operation. They were blamed in the extortion of money from investors.

Before that, the EU mission visited Zemo Svaneti within the framework of the civil initiative of the CENN. One of their business meetings, which were organized in 8 villages of Mestia district, was dedicated to the topic of historical inheritance of Mestia residents and the threats to their properties. The locals underscored that the most apparent result of the ongoing process in Svaneti was conflict between investors and the local population. Thus, the special operation was not a surprise in Mestia.

The current urgent problem cannot be resolved in Zemo Svaneti because of meager financial resources. The government does not have enough funds to resolve such urgent issues for the local population and the state like reduction of risks of natural disasters and maintenance of unique cultural inheritance in Svaneti. As a result, one part of the population has to live in the flooded houses. The towers, Machubi (house built close to the Svaneti tower) and churches are pulling down which are most important sightseeing in Svaneti.

In similar situation, the implementation of Mestia development plan was double important as well as the rehabilitation of Zugdidi-Mestia motor-way for what the central authority allocated huge sums. These projects had to pay particular role in the resolution of local problems. However, the real needs of Svaneti region were to be estimated on grass root level.

Unfortunately, the starting-phase of the project did not aim awareness-raising and involvement of the local population. Consequently, the project did not reflect those problems which are urgently needed for the development of Mestia and are focused on the interests of the local population. Consequently, it caused conflict.

Millions of US dollars were spent on the construction of skiing routs in Mestia though the territory historically belonged to local people and nobody informed them about the construction. Besides that, huge sums are spent on the rehabilitation of the buildings in the center of Mestia which do not have any cultural or historical value at all while meager funds are allocated for the rehabilitation of historical towers and other buildings. Locals were particularly discontent by arranging ice-rank in the center of Mestia on which the authority spent 202 505 GEL.

Neither Mestia development program nor the road rehabilitation project envisaged the reduction of the risks of natural disasters.

The prime-minister of Georgia received a letter how to regulate these problems from the ambassador of the EU. However, the scandal of Naverian-Japaridzes happened before the government responded to the letter.

Svaneti residents think the government tried to warn local population by this incident. The security problem became urgent in Mestia again which hindered the development of tourism in Svaneti for many years.

Land Sold in Secret

Neli Naveriani and her relatives have been urging to return their historical lands for two years already. The state sold their land to Canadian investor – William James Simpson. Although Neli Naveriani did not have the land registered at the public registration agency, her family had been using the plot for many years.

In order to analyze this fact, we should consider the peculiarity of Svaneti region and the privatization process there.

Svaneti region is not rich in land and every family has plots inherited from their ancestors. The land was divided before the Soviet Union. During communist regime there was no private property. After the independence of Georgia, the situation was the following.

Kakha Zhorzholiani, resident of Mestia: “Everybody got the plot back which belonged to his/her ancestors. They asked the old people who remembered whose family owned plots. The population agreed on boundaries and we have been cultivating our plots since then. However, most of them are not privatized. Many local people have not privatized their houses either.”

At the moment, the privatization process is stopped in Mestia district. In the past the process was hindered because of the privatization fee – 100 GEL for each plot. Because of lack of land in Svaneti, people have several small plots instead one large and their number might be 9-12. Consequently, the local person had to pay 1000 -2000 GEL for the privatization and only several people could afford to register their plots. Currently, the process has stopped and the population is panicked. Locals doubt everything is done to seize land from the people.

Khvicha Chartolani, resident of Mestia: “By detention of Neli Naveriani they wanted to scare us. They wanted to show that we can also be punished if we complain. Nobody has plots registered and the authority can take both land and houses from us quite easily.”

Presidential Program  – lawn-land or skiis?

Human Rights Center requested the information about the types of works planned in the frameworks of the rehabilitation of Zemo Svaneti. According to the deputy governor of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Vakhtan Tskhadaia, the project budget is 51 246 205 lari and it’s going to be spent entirely for the current year. The following works will be financed by this money:

1.  Rehabilitation of central and the local road – 37 627 700 lari
2.  Arrangement of the skating rink – 202 505 lari
3.  Construction of mountain skiing line – 4 700 000 lari
4.  Rehabilitation of the town Mestia – 3 000 000 lari
5.  Rehabilitation – construction of the canals of Mestia – 1 397 000 lari
6. Rehabilitation of water-line in Tsurniashi, Mestia – 1 719 000 lari
7. Arrangement of the streets of Mestia – 2 500 000 lari

The ski line envisaged by the Presidential Program crosses the local lawn-land. The population is confused. It’s uncertain how the line can be constructed in someone’s property. Will they be paid compensation and so on. Besides, the locals fear that the construction of objects planned in the framework of the program will sacrifice other parts of their land.

Khvicha Chartolani: “Now they are saying that the archives of Mestia which preserves our farmstead books are being removed to Zugdidi. The books state how much of land is owed by who and where it’s situated. If it’s removed to Zugdidi, it might get destroyed there and then how can we prove that this land really belongs to us?!”

Tea Bolkvadze, the head of the press center of the Georgian Ministry of Economic Development states that these matters entirely belong to the concern of local municipality. CENN and HRIDC spoke with the governor Gocha Chelidze.

-    Mr. Gocha, why was the privatization process halted in Mestia?

-    First, people have not figured it out which land belongs to whose ancestors. It was halted to avoid the argument and uncertainty. When things are cleared up, it will be renewed.

-    Mestia residents say that they’ve figured it out a long time now and there’s nothing to argue about.

-    No, there are disputed lands.

-    How can these lands be privatized when people don’t have documents?

-    Something will be available, the farmstead book record, for instance.

-    They say that this archive will be removed to Zugdidi.

-    No, it’s not going to be removed nowhere. It’s staying here.

-    There’ve been facts when the state sold out the lands of the people, for example the Naveriani case.

-    I told Naveriani and his relatives – if investor presents you something, take that, but don’t ask for money.

-    They say that Neli Naveriani was oppressed because of her opposition activities.

-    Where’s the connection?! One of the arrested was “National,” he worked with me in the local government.

-    There’s the same problem with the construction of the ski lines. This line crosses the local lawn-land. How do you think you’ll solve the problem?

-    The commission has just been created that will discuss this case. We’ll probably issue the compensation.

-    Is the compensation money determined? Is the money envisaged by the budget?

-    No, it’s not.

-    Then where are you going to get it?

-    No problem, we’ll get it. Besides, the lawn-land is not hindering it. The line will work in winter, the lawn-land – in summer. They’ll just have to take off the fences. They will put up one wire in summer which electrifies on the touch of cattle. It just needs one Krona battery. It will stand for the whole season.

According to the governor’s commentary, government doesn’t have the adequate reaction on the problems of population. The population puts the special emphasis on the fact that the central government makes decisions without their involvement, the government doesn’t cooperate with them. That’s why numerous rumors are spread among the locals. People say that if this uncertainty goes on for a long time, it can result in the serious conflict.

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