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Bare Cables and Wasted Millions from Budget

March 14, 2014
 
Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

You can find bare electricity wires and electricity posts without protection covers in many seaside streets of Batumi. In parallel to poor illumination, citizens are not safe when walking around the city.

Electricity posts do not have protection covers; wires are wrapped with isolation lines and part of them is covered with plastic bottles. Although millions lari was spent on the rehabilitation of Batumi illumination posts from the city budget, the problem is still not resolved. Several years ago, open electricity wire killed a man in the vicinities of the former Obelisk.

This year, Batumi City Hall allocated 152 910 lari for the technical service of the street illumination. Two companies Adjara Illumination and Ltd Aka Energy took part in the bid competition. As a result of the three-round bargain Ltd Aka Energy won the bid. The agreement was signed on 81 552 lari and the service shall be provided from February 1 to August 1, 2014.

Human Rights Center contacted director of the Aka Energy Kakhaber Azikur who said tender agreement did not oblige them to provide illumination posts with covers. “According to the agreement, we have to provide technical service for street illumination. We did not know that situation was so bad. Several days ago I was called from the Batumi City Hall regarding this issue. I have to arrive in Batumi to negotiation on the problem. I think the company, which provided the service before us, should not have left wires and posts without covers.”

From 2011 to 2014 only Ltd Adjara Illumination participated and won bid competitions of the Batumi City Hall. During three years the company received 2 384 794 lari for the implementation of the work.

Deputy Director of the Adjara Illumination Mindia Vashakidze said population was stealing covers of the illumination posts. “We had to install 30-50 new covers every day. Then we installed plastic covers but they started to rob them too. In fact, we systematically lost them. This year we lost tender and we are not providing the technical service.”

“Everything will be repaired,” head of public services and amenities at the Batumi City Hall Avtandil Burkadze promised, “New company won tender and they will take care of everything.” 

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