Press-Release №27

 Questions with no answers

Who will stop high-handed officials?

Inhabitants of the settlement of “Severny” (Northern) (former state farm) of Naurski district consider that actions of two local officials, the acting head of the Administration and former director of the state farm, not only bring harm to the republic as a whole, but also seriously undermine prestige of authority. According to several residents of "Severny", the head of rural Administration Pisaev and ex-director of the state farm Abukhasanov, using patronage and support both the management of the district administration and local power structures brought the state farm "Severny" to full ruin, having ceased and "privatized" together with their close relatives everything possible and impossible.

            In opinion of the people, only the direct intervention of the President of the republic can stop two officials of the middle level (operating and former), who have stolen and continuing to rob not only the local residents, but also the state. "Roads leading to “Severny” and to the village were not repaired for years. They are heavily broken, so, probably, only a tank can pass them, especially in rainy weather, - said one of the inhabitants of "Severny". Thus, as far as we know, considerable amount of money for repair of roads in our republic is being allocated".

            "We have brought gas to "Severny" for our own expenses. For this purpose, we had to collect money from the whole village. Our leadership, both former and present, has sold, according to some information, up to 200 tons of pipes allocated for these purposes. They both obtained constructed huge houses in the district center (Naur) for gained money. And now we are demanded money for gas"! – said an indignant inhabitant of the village, who also wished to remain nameless.

            According to local residents, the above-named officials have serious relationship with the district management as well as power structures and, consequently, people are afraid to speak openly about the arbitrariness. Residents of "Severny" are convinced that actions of Pisaev and Abukhasanov "are covered from above".

            "How, then, we can explain such, for example, fact that the brother of Pisaev have "liberated" almost the whole local hospital? Or his son-in-law constructed a shop, where alcohol is on sale? Why nobody is interested in an issue where is the technique belonging earlier to the state farm? Where are the former state-farm cattle? – asks the interlocutor. This all went to the hands of close relatives of the former director of the state farm, and he simply sold the cattle".

            According to the other inhabitant of "Severny", relatives of the former director also completely ruined the large cattle-breeding complex. The remaining garages, boxes and other subsidiary premises were strangely handed over to his relatives. "We used to have a huge vineyard, and now there is nothing remains, - he says. It is completely rooted up and all metal designs (pipes, armature, etc.) were sold by our former director".

            Most of all, inhabitants of "Severny" are indignant with the fact that neither local, nor Russian law enforcement bodies as well as authorities did not undertake and do not undertake any actions to define fault of officials in actual ruin of the state farm, plunder of the state property and bringing to responsibility for these acts as well as actually indulging these persons, who behave here as landowners in the patrimonial estate.

            Local residents are convinced that the leadership of the republic has not the faintest idea of arbitrariness of officials in "Severny", and intend to approach the president of the republic with a letter requesting to send a special commission to conduct investigation of the "activity" of the above-named persons.

 2 May 2008

Information Center for CNO 

The press-release  is prepared and issued with support of Human Rights and Governance Grants Program at the OSI-Budapest.  The Institute is not responsible for the activity of the Information Center for CNO and material published on the organization’s website