Socially Vulnerable Citizens Request Accommodations and Stable Electricity Supply

Elene Chumburidze

Socially vulnerable family, living in Tbilisi in the Chitaia str. #33 in the Italian yard applied to Human rights Centre for help after they could not get support from corresponding governmental institutions. The unprotected families blame the government in negligence and request improving their living conditions.

The building of former Central immunology and microbiology laboratory where the two-member family lives now is the state (the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development) property. The socially disabled family moved in the building in 2007. The other socially disabled and internally displaced people lived in the building together with them. Now only one family lives there and they have electricity arrears of 600 lari left from the old neighbors. Inola Kurtoshvili-the pensioner of 73 and Natalia Kurashvili of 46 who is unemployed are obliged to pay this debt.

Because of these debts the family has been living without electricity for three years. They decided to protect their rights and appealed to the Telasi and the Ministry of Economy at the end of the last year.

Their income is only financial aid of 54 lari and the pension of retired people. Since they could not afford to pay the debt immediately, the family appealed to Telasi with the statement and requested to allow them to pay the debt in smallest portions during long period of time.

Telasi replied to their request: Joint Stock Company Telati is ready to restructure the debts of the above-mentioned subscriber in the JSC Telasi based on written petition (06/12/11)”.

The family received electricity supply after three days they had sent the statement to the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. According to Natalia Kurashvili the Nationalists involved in this case and calmed her. Though, the problems have not been solved completely as there is not an official document about debt payment and the family does not receive the stable electricity supply until now.

So the family appealed to the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development again and requested to be registered as subscriber that aimed to completely annul their arrears. According to Natalia Kurashvili the citizens with the status of socially disabled families should not be obliged to pay other citizens’ debts. We read in the ministry’s answer:”We would like to notify to you that the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development considered irrelevant to discuss your case because you are living in the state property without any permission in Chitaia str. #33 (27.02.12)”.

The socially vulnerable family requests to register the accommodation on them. As we mentioned above the building they are living in is the state property. The Legal entity of Public Law- Property Management Agency at the Tbilisi City Hall wrote to the family that the real estate they are interested in is the state property. Hence the question stated about transferring the property to the possession will not be sent to the Tbilisi local government for discussion (17.07.12)

As Natalia Kurashvili stated she has information that third category of socially vulnerable families will receive accommodations in the framework of the special project in October. Their family is within the third category and they hope there will not be any obstacles now.