Residents of Azerbaijan demand fair distribution of help among flood victims

In Azerbaijan, villagers from Minbashi, Sabirabad District, have held a protest today with a demand of fair distribution of compensations allotted by the government to the victims of floods in 2010.

The action in Minbashi was attended by about 150 villagers, who for some time blocked the Shirvan-Sabirabad Highway. The road was unlocked by protesters voluntarily after interference of the police.

The villagers believe that the funds allocated to them were stolen by Beibala Iskenderov, the representative of the executive power in the village, his deputy Gadir Aliev and the head of the municipality Rufulla Gochaev. They are accused of stealing 200 manats out of every thousand when distributing the compensations.

Besides, the protesters argue that bureaucrats take bribes from people for putting them on the list of those, for whom new houses will be built.

The authorities are ready to consider complaints should they arrive in writing, said Yumid Gasanov, the deputy chief of the executive power of the Sabirabad District. Residents of Minbashi have promised to continue their action on April 4, the "Contact.az" reports.

In his turn, Beibala Iskenderov, the representative of the executive power in the village, said that the protesters were the villagers, whose houses are in good condition; and they are angry for not receiving the compensations.

"These people want the commission to re-examine their houses and pay them the money out of the 50 million manats, allocated by the President. In August 2011, the commission inspected 215 houses and made a conclusion to repair and reconstruct 51 of them. With regard to other houses, it was stated that they were in normal condition," the APA quotes Mr Iskenderov as saying.