Residents of Dagestan capital seize electric substations and block streets

Today, about one hundred residents of the Sulak village seized an electric substation and switched on the cut off equipment. In the evening, Makhachkala residents again blocked the city streets in a protest against switching off light.

Today, a group of about one hundred local residents in the village of Sulak located near Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, have seized a substation owned by the "Dagenergo" branch of OJSC "МRSК North Causacus".

The OJSC "МRSК North Causacus" has reported to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that a group of people most of whom were women occupied the substation building, switched on the dead feeders and locked their own padlocks on the energy generating equipment.

"The law enforcement agencies and local administration employees who were on the site did not interfere despite their obviously illegal actions", informed the company representatives.

For reference, a similar action was held on May 22 in the Makhachkala suburban settlement of Leninkent where the residents prevented electric company employees from cutting off electric energy.

Today night, more than a hundred residents of Makhachkala blocked the traffic at the end of Shamil Avenue in the area of the so-called "Steppe settlement". The residents protested against cutting off of electric energy in their homes.

Representatives of the Makhachkala interior department and Lenin district administration arrived to the scene. After negotiations they managed to persuade the protesters to go home.

Today, Gamlet Dzhamaldinov, senior assistant of Dagestan prosecutor, has called on the republic's residents to use civilized methods and apply to the prosecutor's office and courts to protect their rights.

However, residents of the houses where power supply started to be cut off do not believe that civilized methods may ensure them justice and intend to continue blocking streets and hold similar acts of protest.

"Refrigerators in my shop are off, the goods get spoilt, and who is going to be responsible for this?" - said the owner of a small shop in Makhachkala to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "This is the only source of income for us, we pay all taxes and for all utilities, let them go and cut off those who do not pay".

Starting from today, a regime of cutting power supply is being introduced in the towns of Kizliar, Kaspiisk and Kizilyurt for the debts before the power supply companies. Previously, such measures were used in Makhachkala.

According to the OJSC "МRSК North Causacus", the debt of the OAO "Kizliar gorelectroseti" is 31.3 million rubles, that of МUP "Kizilyurtenergosbyt" amounts to 45.5 million rubles, "Kaspenergosbyt" Ltd" - 28.1 million rubles.