Dagestani journalist urges authorities not to hamper school construction

On March 11, Alik Abdulgamidov, a journalist from Dagestan, held a solo picket in Red Square in Moscow. He demanded from the authorities to support the local businessman, who is building a school in the Magaramkent District for his own money.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2016, Abdulgamidov, a member of the Dagestani office of the All-Russian Popular Front (ARPF), told Russian president, at an ARPF's forum, about the unsatisfactory state of rural schools in Dagestan and the pressure on Fridun Shakhpazov, a local businessman, who began building rural schools at his own expense, but announced his intention to leave his business in the republic because of constant inspections by supervising bodies.

On March 11, Alik Abdulgamidov came to Kremlin walls with a banner reading: "Dagestani authorities would not fulfil Russian president's order"; and demanded to help Shakhpazov with school construction. "Apart from declarations about public-private partnership, the investor receives no help from local officials. While children are waiting for the opening of a new school for the fifth year," the RIA "Derbent" quotes Mr Abdulgamidov as saying.

According to the journalist, Shakhpazov has already built a new school in the village of Primorskoye; while the second school in the village of Bilbilkazmalyar has become a long-term unfinished site. "[Because of this] local schoolchildren have to continue studying in emergency premises," said Abdulgamidov, adding that law enforcers are going to initiate a criminal case against Fridun Shakhpazov.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 11, 2019 at 08:31 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.