KBR residents ask rights defenders to help in solving land problem

Villagers of Nizhni Cherek in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) have appealed to rights defenders asking to help to receive their land shares.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 16, residents of Nizhni Cherek held a rally and decided to ask the authorities to provide them with land plots for agricultural purposes.

Their appeal to the KBR’s regional human rights centre says that the demand of the federal law to hold mandatory auctions "deprives villagers of any chances to rent land plots."

"In Nizhni Cherek, about half of capable population have no jobs and constant sources of income; therefore, young people and family mothers leave the village," the appeal says.

At the same time, most villagers "cannot get at least five hectares of land for rent."

Timur Shalov, Professor at the KBR’s State Agrarian University, said that land rent problems in Northern Caucasus appeared after the land reform in Russia.

According to his story, the main problem in the regions, where the agricultural lands were privatized, was the unclaimed land shares, which are registered as state property.

Along with that, Professor Shalov believes that without amending the legislation, villagers cannot claim free land plots.

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