Residents of Dagestan treat Melikov's criticism of report on school problem as inappropriate

The contractor has suspended building a school in the village of Shinaz because of the discovery of a historical burial ground. Authorities refused the contractor to extend the construction term and abandoned the contract; it follows from the information on the government procurement website and the file of arbitration cases. By criticizing a journalist's video about the above school, Sergey Melikov, the head of Dagestan, put himself in an awkward position, since authorities themselves are to blame for the problem, social networks commentators believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Mr Melikov had criticized Murad Magomedov's report about the dilapidated school in Shinaz, the Rutul District of Dagestan. Sergey Melikov said that he had been monitoring the school situation for two years. The TV channel's management claimed that the words of Dagestani leader should be treated as pressure on the journalist. The villagers themselves said that because of the absence of school in Shinaz, more than 100 children have their classes in a dilapidated and cold building. Rasim Mirzabekov, the school principal, spoke about the claims of parents from among militaries. "They say that they are defending our homeland, but ask about the conditions in which their children have to study," the principal has noted.

Commentators in the "VKontakte" social network have criticized the head of Dagestan.

"I'm never tired to repeat: the mess that was in Dagestan will continue to be so. And no matter who heads the republic's govt, there's no point. Corruption has always been and it will always be there," the user Nuritdin Mekhrabov has noted.

"Aren't you ashamed, Melikov?" the user Zainudin Omarov has asked.

Other users have supported the journalist, Murad Magomedov.

"Well done! He has filmed his report and showed bureaucrats' true faces," the user Telman Telman has emphasized.