Makhackala/Agency Caucasus – The official response to power cuts that both frustrated the people of Dagestan and rendered schools as well as hospital dysfunctional has eventually come from President Mukhu Aliyev.
The president appropriated 16mn rubles in emergent government funding to get the system of power supply fixed in central capital, Makhackala. The money was also made available to the board of municipality.
Though publicly criticized for not even caring to make a statement about cuts in supplies of power, water and natural gas that have made life in mid winter unbearable, Aliyev took a step forward and met with his administration officials.
Aliyev was quoted in some local papers as scolding the municipality for considering it just normal to have over 20,000 people having to live without electricity. "It is perfectly normal to have a couple of buildings where the electricity supply cannot be delivered; however, it is perfectly abnormal to have over 40 buildings with not electricity at all?"
Shamil Zaynalov, Prime Minister of Dagestan, was angry with the kind of officials who did not care to make any public statements about the cause for power cuts and when things could return to normal. "We have to let the people know what exactly happened. The situation facing us now is very critical and we should be far more honest than ever."
The president’s meeting with his administration officials ended with a decision to appropriate a total of 140mn rubles to re-structure the whole of electric supply system in Makhackala. ÖZ/FT
