Authorities of Grozny resume large-scale subbotniks

The capital of Chechnya has resumed the practice of mass voluntary work of citizens (the so-called "subbotniks"), who clean up city streets of trash, ill weeds and other wastes. Employees of state-run institutions and public offices are involved in this free-of-charge labour. Some residents of Grozny believe that local authorities abuse their powers.

The return to last year's practice took place in the end of last week, when Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, demanded to strain efforts in improving the sanitary condition of the city. Immediately after this the Mayoralty of the Chechen capital urged citizens to bring their land plots and adjacent areas into proper order, threatening otherwise to alienate property from negligent owners.

"We are back in last year's summer," Sultan, an employee of one of institutions of the Ministry of Education of Chechnya, said on this occasion. "Those, who work in budget-funded institutions, are forced again in the 'voluntary-compulsory order' to clean city streets. The only difference from last year's subbotniks in Grozny is that this time the topic has got not so broad media coverage. I can't understand why should I mow the grass, pick up garbage and do other work for which municipal services get their salaries? Or why should I clean the vicinities of apartment blocks instead of their tenants? It is clear that the authorities save millions of roubles, but there must be some limit for all this."

"We were again driven out to a subbotnik, which, according to our bosses, was again sanctioned by Ramzan Kadyrov himself," said an employee of one of the units of the "Rosneft". "For more than a week we are doing landscaping around one of oil wells, which, according to some sources, should be visited by Putin."

Meanwhile, residents of the Chechen capital report that district police inspectors and employees of district administrations go around households and fine owners for uncut grass in front of the houses and for building materials stored in the yards and on land plots. These actions cause people's negative reaction, because, according to the opinion of many residents, the city authorities not only seek to shift responsibility for the cleanliness of streets in Grozny on its residents, but actually abuse their powers, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.