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Darkened Kobuleti

June 8, 2007

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“I miss for information. People steal electticity. What should they do? They have no money even for bread. Some days ago I paid 20 lari. The light was switched on yesterday,” says the World War II veteran, first group invalid, inhabitant of village Kondidi, 92 year old, Ismail Menagarashvili.

One month ago, 5 thousands of families in Kobuleti Municipality stayed without electro energy. The basic families without electricity are from villages. The collector demands 25-35 lari from each family, weather they have spent such amount of electricity or not. The locals are anxious. As the locals have been informed, the supply of electricity was interrupted because of the unpaid money. Some representatives of the Adjara energy company declare that Czech investors bought the “Adjara energy company”.

“I do not understand, why should I pay 20 lari? I did not spend such amount of electricity. If they will not give us electricity, I am not going to pay money. If the debt comes from general counter, this is not my problem,” declares the inhabitant of village Alambari, Zura Tkhilaishvili.

The inhabitants of Kobuleti talk about the poor social conditions and vague reasons of the sum gathering. They have a lot of questions to the representatives of Kobuleti Energy Company.

Though, the chief of the Kobuleti power plant of Adjata Energy Company Tamaz Nemsadze thinks that demanding of 25-35 lari from the locals is legal: “The locals know, that in the middle of the month, they have to pay the money. They have not been paying debts during years. Situation will be improved, after the Czechs come in the Energy Company. 100 families will be switched on one counter and the fee of the spent electricity will be shared among them. I think that in the nearest 3-4 days, we will switch off 2-3 thousands of families. Everybody steals electricity.”

The locals are sure, that the Energy Company has been bought by the Czech investors and the debt is demanded by them. But in Energy Company declare that, the Energy Company will be handed to investors from 10 June. After the conversation with the chief of the Company, Human Rights Centre cleared that the money was demanded not from the investors, but from the government.

“On that stage, we have taken 32 percent of spent electricity. The locals will see, if they don’t pay the dept in time, in three months 10 000 of families will be switched off,” says Nemsadze and continues: “Some days ago, 12 families came from one village. They brought the Bible with them and swear on the Bible, that they would never steal the electricity, but, after some days, they forgot about their promise. Besides this in Kveda Ochkhamuri 350 families do not have electricity. They block the railway; ask for help to journalists and local government. According to private counters, they have spent only 3-4 lari. Though, in general counters, the numbers are bigger.”

There are talking a lot about legal or illegal demand of debts in Kobuleti. Politicized locals miss for the information: “I do not watch love stories, I do not like it, granny,” says Ismail Menagarashvili.

Emzar Diasamidze, Kobuleti  

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