Large-Scaled Protest Demonstrations Will Start in Kakheti

Subscribers blamed the JSC “Kakheti Power Distribution Company” for extorting the money from them, their blackmailing and for various violations as well. However, nobody got interested in the activities of the company. According to the local people, the reason of the indifference is the Prime-Minister Zurab Noghaideli’s interest in the company.

The Kakheti Power Distribution Company has cut off electricity several times for the last three months. The villages received the electricity after they had paid some money in addition to their monthly bills. In February 2007, the company demanded the subscribers, who had no more debt, to follow some new directives. Every twentieth subscriber should wire their houses to the electro distributing cabins, which are in most cases located several kilometers away from their houses. In addition to that, the subscribers should buy electricity- meters themselves. After the people had quarreled, held protest demonstrations and had applied to the local authority, representatives of the company canceled part of their directives and promised the subscribers to install meters for free.

“Initially they cut off electricity at New Year Eve. We argued much, applied to the district authority, however nobody paid attention to us. Finally we opened the door to the electro distributing cabin in the village and switched the electricity on. Several days later they cut off the electricity again. They told us, although we had paid electricity bills according to our individual meters, we should not get electricity unless we pay the bill according to the collective meter. After subscriber had initially paid 10 lari, then 12 lari and finally 10 lari, they supplied us with electricity. Those who could not pay the money, has not had electricity since that time,” said Manana Djavshanashvili, a resident of the village of Chandari in the Gurjaani District.

“We bought 900 meters of wire with our expenses and supplied our houses with electricity. Now they say the village has a debt of 2 400 GEL and unless villagers pay the money, they will cut off the electricity tomorrow again. We are not going to pay even a tetri. You know we have obeyed all their orders and now they dare to demand us even more. As soon as they cut off the electricity we will start demonstrations. We will nail up the door of the chief of the Kakheti Power Distributing Company and then we will see what mood he would be in. Niko Pkhovelishvili, the chief of the company, made fun of us each time we applied to him. He said we would not manage to do any harm to him by expressing our protest. We were also told at the company that Noghaideli supports the company and wherever we appeal to, we would have no results,” said anxious people in their conversation with the Human Rights Center’s Kakheti office.

“After noisy demonstrations the local authority met us. Representatives of the Gurjaani Administrative Board met us. They promised to find out situation and assist us. Finally nobody showed any interest in our problems. We are not going to pay additional 24 lari. The point is that we cannot afford it, though we would not pay it even if we had money. Such illicit and impudent behavior of the Power Distributing Company should have an end,” said Makhvala Ilashvili.

“Teller of the Power Company does not receive money for February electricity bills. Yesterday, they demanded us to pay our bills allocated in 1999, 2000 and 2001. They said unless we pay those debts, they would not receive money for current bills and would cut off the electricity. I got interested and found out that I have allocated 226 GEL during those three years. I certainly cannot pay the money, because I have a wage of 27 lari a month. They are making fun of us. Besides that, in those years we paid five lari a month. As for the check, they rarely gave it to us,” said Leila Mtivlishvili.

Representatives of the JSC ‘Kakheti Power Distributing Company’ do not deny the accusations of the population. According to Lado Mosulishvili, deputy manager of the Gurjaani Service Center, the population should pay their bills according to collective meters. “As for the fact that they were insulted by representatives of the company, I cannot say anything. I cannot understand what you are saying about Noghaideli, leave me alone,” said representatives of the service center.

Neither board members of the company answered our question what was the connection between their company and Noghaideli, Zurab Djandjghava, the bankrupt manager did not want to speak with the journalist for the Human Rights Center’s Kakheti office.

Unlike the board members of the Power Distributing Company, representatives of the Human Rights Center’s Kakheti office speak about the shares Noghaideli has in the company. They said that they have received the information from the employees of the company. “We appeal against the Kakheti Power Distributing Company and demand them to cease their illegal directives, blackmailing and extorting money from us. A short time ago, one of the company board members said that our arguments were useless because Noghaideli was interested to get as much money from the population as possible because he has a share in it. I cannot say the name of that board member for certain reasons,” said people from the Human Rights Center.

The subscribers informed the Human Rights Center that they will start large-scaled protest demonstrations on Monday.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti