IDPs from Akhalgori Held One More Demonstration In Front of the Ministry

Mari Otarashvili

On February 9, IDPs from Akhalgori district have held the third demonstration in front of the Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation. According to them, they have been requesting compensation for one and half year in vain. They said about 1 700 IDPs have received neither compensation nor cottages.

After the war in August since Akhalgori district was occupied, government of Georgia received about 7 000 IDPs from the district. Although neither occupants nor separatists restricted local population (furthermore, they promised them to create safe environment for them), most part of Akhalgori district residents could not stand noise of military vehicles and soldiers. Moreover, during first days of occupation, the situation was uncontrolled in Akhalgori.

Government of Georgia built cottages for IDPs from Akhalgori in the villages of Tserovani, Tsilkani and Prezeti within 2 months. Those IDPs, who did not want cottages, were promised to be compensated. Many IDPs could not stand conditions in the settlements. So, some of them returned to occupied district; others sheltered their relatives hoping to receive the promised compensation from the authority. Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation and Akhalgori district administration-municipality board also promised them compensations. Thus, several IDPs were suggested by district administration to leave cottages and instead they could be inserted on the list of those IDPs who are waiting for compensation. Although the district administration drew up the lists, they did not find the funds to satisfy 1 700 uncompensated and cottage-less IDPs from Akhalgori.

Legitimate administration of Akhalgori district and Ministry of Refugees tried to convince residents of Akhalgori that they were on the list and funds for the compensation shall be allocated soon. Meanwhile, one and half year has passed. The situation has been more or less settled in the Ksani Gorge and locals who sheltered their relatives returned to their houses.

It is noteworthy that de-facto authority of Akhalgori district does not recognize those people to be IDPs and call them “so-called IDPs”. Officials of de-facto administration state that nobody has evicted them from the district; their houses are not burnt and nobody has looted their houses. Just the opposite, they are promised to live in peace.

Akhalgori residents also confirm this information. “Nobody intimidates us; however, life is difficult there because for example, when we arrive in the district we have to go through three checkpoints. Even our relatives, our siblings cannot visit us here. If we had house here, we could live here,” said residents of Akhalgori.

Since they could not get the promised compensation, IDPs from Akhalgori petitioned to the Akhalgori district administration and Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation; though in vain. It was clear for everybody that compensation sums were not allocated at all or somebody has misappropriated it. Akhalgori district residents have this doubt. They claim: the state has allocated the sum but administration has wasted it.

District administration stated they have done everything what was within their competence and now the ministry had to attend to this issue.

Merab Balashvili, member of the Akhalgori municipality board: “Akhalgori district administration has nothing to do with it. It is within the competence of the ministry of refugees. The ministry has been lying the IDPs for more than one year and half as if they have allocated the sums. I personally spoke Koba Subeliani, the minister, and he said IDPs from Akhalgori district will not receive any compensation at all. I asked why but he did not reply. District administration is not charged to distribute compensations among IDPs. We were entitled to hand in the lists of IDPs and we have done it for a long time already. The ministry had to do the rest but I cannot understand why they are lying people. These people are homeless now; they have been living in lie for more than 18 months. Have they done anything wrong?!’

MP and member of anti-crisis council Jondi Baghaturia got interested in the problems of IDPs and on February 26 he promised them assistance.

“Their problem will be resolved positively because they request their compensation in accordance to the law. By the way, the USA, France and Germany have allocated this sum. Where was that sum spent? We have parliament and anti-crisis council which was set up to monitor lawful expenditure of those sums; I mean it is our obligation,” said Baghaturia.

On February 8, IDPs reminded Baghaturia his promise. “Baghaturia promised to invite anti-crisis council to discuss our problem. We do not know when it will happen,” said one of the IDPs.

IDPs appealed to the French embassy (France allocated sums for IDPs) and informed them about their troubles.

“According to the French embassy, they were reported from the ministry of Refugees and Accommodations that they have set up a commission about the issue. We told them the commission was set up to deceive people; in fact they are not going to distribute compensations. We requested the embassy their assistance to clear up the situation. However, we will not wait for their response and will hold protest rally again. The embassy might send their observer on our demonstration. We are going to lock the central motor-way in Mtskheta to attract the attention of the government”, stated IDP Tamar Mearkishvili, the head of Akhalgori district youth house.

The ministry of Refugees and Accommodations state the government is not going to get rid of the responsibility.
 
“We are evaluating families, we must find out whether the families are divided artificially or not and whether applicants really needed the allowance. Those who do not have shelter, we can give the house. As for compensation, we gave allowances if the IDP was not sheltered into a cottage and IDP was going to add money on the savings, which the government gives to IDP as compensation. The government checked if the IDP really had savings and where they were going to buy a house. The government will really give compensations, if IDP buys a house”, clarified Eka Gulua, the head of press service from the department of Subeliani.

The statement of the ministry irritated the IDPs from Akhalgori. The government did not check the savings of the IDPs and it did not have any notification about them. They cannot understand one thing: Why the ministry promised compensations to IDPs, if they were not going to give compensations. The IDPs from Akhalgori state their protest rally will be permanent.