Chechnya conducts large-scale raids aimed to collect debts for utility services

Communal officials and court marshals of Chechnya are conducting large-scale raids with the aim to collect debts for utility services. Locals say about frequent visits of communal officials to their homes.

"In the Urus-Martan District of the republic only, during five days, we collected debts in excess of 2 million roubles," said the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of Chechnya.

"Many debtors prefer to repay their debts on the spot; in case they refuse to do it, at least partially, court marshals arrest their property. For many debtors it is a good motive to resolve the issue with the repayment of many-month, and, sometimes, many-year utility debts," noted the Ministry.

"We have dishonest consumers, who have failed to pay for consumed gas for months and even for years. There are those, whose debt exceeds 100,000 roubles; and there are consumers with debts of 40-50,000. We have to work with them, provide explanations. In some cases we have to disconnect gas supply; in others cases we have to arrest property. But these are extreme measures; in general we allow to repay debts in parts and try to suit them as much as possible," said a source from the "Chechenregiongaz" Company.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.