Press-Release №28

 Questions with no answers

«Apartment issue» is a burning problem for residents of the republic

            Over the last 15 years distribution of the municipal habitation and land plots for needy citizens was turned into a real business by unfair and thievish officials from various departments, first of all, from regional administrations and workers of various supervising departments. So-called "relinquished" apartments and houses (that is a living space, which owners have handed over to the state in order to get monetary indemnification), were on sale and re-sold sometimes several times. Sometimes, there can be from three to tens “owners” of the same "relinquished" apartment. And practically all of them possess documents, granted by the relevant institution, but in different time.

            According to some information, in the city of Grozny there are about eight thousand apartments registered among "relinquished" apartments. This habitation, after reception of money by its former owner, became municipal property and now city authorities possess the right to distribute it to citizens. This problem possessed a wide nature several years ago, after the end of active operations in the Chechen Republic, when citizens, whose habitation and property was destroyed during the confrontation, began approaching regional administrations with the request to assist in receiving municipal habitation. It is necessary to note that part of them pursued, first of all, mercenary purposes. At a time of ruin and chaos reigning at that time, it was not difficult to get an apartment. Certainly, for the certain amount of money.

            At that time, basically administrations of the city districts of city were engaged in distribution of "relinquished" habitation. And officials, quickly whipping up the profit that can be gained from aspiration of people to become owners of accessible habitation, took the advantage of it. According to one of the inhabitants of Grozny, in 2003, when he approached the administration of the area with the request to allocate a habitation to his family, as their house was not supposed to be restored, one of the officials suggested him to find an empty apartment in order to receive an assignment on it. After long searches the interlocutor found an apartment and after payment of certain amount of monetary "compensation" to the worker of administration, he became a lawful owner of a two-room apartment. Thus, the official who helped him to solve the of habitation, invariable emphasized that part of the received amount will be handed over to those who are "upward", and that several persons involved in this issue, including and the worker of the administration of Grozny.

            However, several months later, the owner of the apartment was visited by a person, who stated that this living space belonged to him on lawful bases and showed the relevant documents. While parties tried to solve this issue, one more "owner" of the apartment, who also possessed documents from administration for this apartment, has appeared. The case was taken to the court, but it was impossible to establish a true owner of the flat. The parties did not manage to solve the disputable issue privately.

            There are thousands, even tens thousands of such cases today. "Relinquished" apartments should be allocated, first of all, to persons, who lost habitation during the military activities, needy and disabled people, single mothers and orphans. But, in the reality, the one, who "receives" an apartment, is the one who pays to officials. There are many cases, when "needy" citizens, who had received a living space, either hand it over to the other persons or open shops, cafe, hairdresser's, etc. there. Those, who are in real need of roof above his or her head, are compelled to thwack together in their relatives’ place, or to rent habitation, and they have very few chances to receive treasured keys from their own apartment.

            Over the last years a whole system of distribution of habitation to "our" people was established in the republic. It is impossible to dismantle this system; there is a need for cardinal and rigid decisions. Hundreds of people are compelled to wander in searches of truth, to pester various instances, to clash with each other due to the fault of thievish and unscrupulous officials.

Only last year, according to some information, in Grozny more than 800 thousand apartments, which had been received in defiance of all norms of the law, were revealed. There are many cases of that adventurous workers of administrations registered "relinquished" habitation for themselves or their close relatives, with the purpose for further resale.                                      

At the same time, during all these years, actually none of officials, engaged in making frauds allocating habitation to needy citizens, was brought to responsibility. Probably, frank-pledge, graft and corruption, prospering in separate departments, hinders it. Nevertheless, it is necessary to make order in this sphere, sooner or later, and, first of all, workers of administrations will have to pay off for their actions (frequently deliberate), but not miserable citizens.

9 May 2008

Information Center for CNO 

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