Neither House, Nor Compensation...

Tea Tedliashvili, Gori

Family of Zurab Maisuradze from the village of Meghvrekisi in Gori district fled from the village on August 11, 2008 during the armed conflict. Now, he cannot flee from the kindergarten because the government is not going to reconstruct his house or give compensation. The family with four children cannot live in the house because it was seriously damaged.

After the war, the Maisuradzes were sheltered in Kakheti region. After the Human Rights Centre and journalists for the Public Broadcasting Company got interested in their problem, the family was moved to Gori district in kindergarten N 8; the PBC prepared a TV-item on this fact. Officials said the family will stay in the kindergarten for a short time. They were promised to be compensated soon in order to buy a new house.

The Maisuradzes were settled in Gori when other IDPs had already left part of kindergartens and had returned to their homes.

The head of the nursery school said living conditions in their school were satisfactory for every IDP and the Maisuradzes will also feel well there. However, “temporary” residence for the family did not end and they still live in the kindergarten N 8.

Zurab Maisuradze refused to live in the kindergarten from the very beginning though it was not shown on TV; the family requested to send them back to Kakheti.

“I am visiting the district administration everyday for more than one year; I request them to give compensation to me or reconstruct my house. However, I cannot achieve anything. We fled from Meghvrekisi during the war; the Tbilisi City Hall took my family to Kakheti; then I joined them and lived there before December 2. When I asked for attention, I was brought to the kindergarten in Gori. I immediately told them I preferred to live in Kakheti but they said I was already on the list and would get compensation soon. They said the commission had examined my house and made conclusion too that it was impossible to reconstruct it,” said Zurab Maisuradze.

Gori district administration concluded that the house of Maisuradze could not be reconstructed and decided to give compensation to the family. However, they have not received anything yet. Moreover, the Maisuradzes are told now that their house was not destroyed during the war and it pulled down because it was old. 

“Davit Khmiadashvili told me he was sorry for us and promised to build a new cottage because we did not deserve the compensation. Those new cottages are pulling down already. If I do not deserve anything why should they build a cottage for me? Previously they told me the lists were sent to the ministry and compensation would be issued on me. Apparently, the sum was wasted. Those cottages were constructed in our village by Danish Refugee Council. I mean the cottages built on 24 sq. meters. We are 6 members in the family and I do not want their cottage. Let them give me money and I will take care of my family,” said Maisuradze.

Davit Khmiadashvili, Gori district governor, issued the notification on November 19, 2008 which proves that the house was damaged during the war. “It is to notify that the house of Zura Maisuradze, resident of the village of Meghvrekisi in Gori district, was damaged during the armed conflict and it is impossible to live in it. The notification can be provided to any institution concerned. Sincerely, Davit Khmiadashvili.”

It is evident the notification was not written for the Gori district administration. The administration is the institution which creates the lists of victimized people and sends them to the government of Georgia in order to get compensations for those families.

Davit Khmiadashvili sent letter to Maisuradze on August 18, 2009 and informed that his petition was studied by the agency for the development of economics and infrastructure; they concluded that the house was not damaged during the war and it pulled down because old age.

“The five-storied house was destroyed next to my house as a result of bombardment. That building was 40 meters away from my house and it was ruined to the earth. It damaged my house as well; the roof fell down, the walls fell apart. In a year every wall will pull down. The house is so damaged that it is raining inside like outside. Nobody built cottage for me; the Danish Refugee Council built small cottages in the yards,” said Zurab Maisuradze.

“That house was not damaged during the war. I visited the village together with builders twice. The house has mosaic stairs and they were destroyed because of old age. We requested the Danish Refugee Council to build two cottages for them; when they asked us which family needed help we suggested the Maisuradzes because they have many children and one child is disabled. The house was destroyed because it was old and the budget cannot assist such families,” said Givi Khuroshvili, head of the Gori district agency for the development of economics and infrastructure.

The elder child of the Maisuradzes is disabled person. Two months ago he was granted with allowance. Zurab Maisuradze complains that the medicine that is necessary for his child for 10 days costs 45 GEL while the allowance is only 65 GEL.

“I am working as a worker in the village; I am not sitting at home. We have no income from the gardens. The elder child is disabled and gets allowance of 65 GEL. We pay 45 GEL for his medicine. How can I keep the other three children? Now they told us we will not receive any aid in the kindergartens. However, we were not much aided in the past. Last month they brought beans and macaroni only; since then nothing was brought. They are not going to bring fire-wood and I cannot imagine how we will live here in winter. Only two families remained in this building. They want to open the kindergarten and are going to evict us; though nobody tells us where we will be lodged in,” said Zurab Maisuradze.

Zurab Maisuradze has already petitioned to the president, prime minister, ministry of refugees and local authority. The Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation replied to him that 1 300 families victimized during the Russian aggression were already compensated and according to the resolution of the government of Georgia dated by July 24 2009, local administrations shall provide the ministry with the lists of people who shall be compensated in future.

Despite the 12 million GEL of budget funding many damaged houses in Gori district were not reconstructed yet; people cannot reconstruct them without help.