Gori Population Is Not Supplied with Gas

In Gori tax on gas has reached 51, 3 tetri. In parallel to the increased price, gas supply was cut off for subscribers in the town. Representatives of the GoriGazi said that the reason for the problem is unpaid bills and increased tax. Tengiz Aleksidze, deputy director of the GoriGazi, said that the debt of the subscribers amounted to 800 000 lari.

People suppose that they will not be able to pay increased bills because of hard social conditions. The population opposes the demand of the GoriGazi - to withdraw 90% of bills from the town. Subscribers say that they must not be punished for those people who do not pay bills.

“They have cut off gas without warning. Why should I be punished when I pay the bill every month? My family actively uses the gas. It is obvious why organization cuts off the supply for disobedient subscribers.  But they should punish individual families not everyone. People hardly paid old bills and how will they pay increased one now. Shall I never have gas because of the situation? If we do not have money, we borrow it and pay the bill,” said Nino Karalashvili, a resident of Gori.

“25 out of 30 subscribers have not paid the bills, thus we cut off all of them. Now we have stopped to supply because the tax has been increased and we want to write out old data from meters. First of all we will get those data and then supply population with gas,” said Aleksidze.

“We cannot receive enough funds by the end of the year to pay all expenses. If we do not cut off the supply, the central distributor will certainly cut them off. One subscriber arrived at our office and said her children were in terrible cold in the house and her debt was only five lari. How can I believe that the whole family gets worm only for five lari? It is evident that that subscriber steals the gas. Now we will install controlling meters and will never have similar problems,” said Aleksidze.

Gia Gozalishvili, chairman of the Supervision Council for GoriGazi got irritated at the questions of the Human Rights Center.

“Are not we people? Who will protect our rights? People do not pay bills; distributor does not supply us with gas unless we pay the money in advance. Gori population has allocated the debt of nearly one million on gas. Organizations pay on time but subscribers mostly steal gas. Where can we get the money from? The number of subscribers tripled in the city but there is no money yet,” said Gozalishvili.

According to GoriGazi’s administration, the best subscribers live in Railway Station district. Thus they will be supplied with gas tomorrow. As for the rest of population it is not known yet.

Thea Tedliashvili, Gori