Illegal Payments and Population without Water Supply

Maka Malakmadze, Batumi

Two years ago, President Saakashvili “resolved” the problem of water-supply in the village of Tsikhisdziri in Kobuleti district, Adjara Autonomous Republic. The water pump-house was opened with solemn ceremony but today local residents have to pay for it. Local residents collect 5 GEL every month and from that money they pay the wages of the workers on pump-house. However, the pump-house is still property of Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia.

Residents of the village of Tsikhisdziri applied to Human Rights Center for help. They stated that representatives of the village council take 5 GEL from them every month. Despite that, village is not supplied with water. “We cannot understand why we pay money,” said the villagers.

The village of Tsikhisdziri has been coping with water problem for many years. They even had a joke in the village: “I will not allow my daughter to marry a boy from Tsikhisdziri, she will have to carry buckets of water everyday.” This saying is still often heard in the village…

Human Rights Center got in touch with Avtandil Gorgiladze, head of village council. Gorgiladze showed us collective statement of village residents dated by April 5, 2008 and protocol of council meeting of May 7, 2008. The statement of local residents stated: “We will pay money every month; nobody will refuse to pay 5 or maximum 10 GEL a month for water supply… One of our villagers should take responsibility to look after the pump-house so that everybody could find him/her when it is necessary.” The same statement mentions that because of law-quality of tubes, the water-supply was restored only one month later after some delays. 14 residents of Tsikhisdziri signed the statement. Head of village council explained that 325 families live in the village. However, the protocol of the council meeting, based on which the problem of water supply was “positively” resolved, was signed by 120 persons instead of 206.

According to the protocol of the village council 9 workers of water-supply system have not received their wages for 18 months already. The arrears have amounted to 16 200 GEL.

Avtandil Gorgiladze: “I know it is wrong approach to the topic but in order to supply the village with water without delay we should collect money. MPs Gigi Tsereteli, Koba Khabazi, Goga Gabashvili, Otar Khinikadze and others arrived here before the elections. I informed them about the problem and reported that local residents were collecting money in order to pay the wages of workers at pump-house. According to my information, Levan Varshalomidze, chairman of the Government of Adjara Autonomous Republic, has petitioned to the Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia and requested to assign the pump-house to the municipality board. If it happens so, we will give receipts to the villagers after they give money to us.”

According to the village councilor, President gave construction materials to the village as a present but water cannot be free as villagers claim.

Residents of Tsikhisdziri complain about law quality of tubes for water supply. They had to pay additional money because of bad tubes.

Human Rights Center applied to Davit Ghonghadze, public relation manager of the Ministry of Economic Development and requested public information regarding the problem. However, the center has not received a reply from the ministry yet.