Urazaev: payment of compensations for lost dwelling delayed in Dagestan

The authorities of Dagestan delay the compensation for the damage inflicted on civilians as a result of secret operations on liquidation of militants. The "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" newspaper, citing Eduard Urazaev, head of State Council and Government press-service, writes that this often requires more than a year, and the victims have to stay at hotels or at their relatives'.

According to Eduard Urazaev, after completion of such operations, the republic's authorities, rather than waiting for compensations from Moscow, grant money for compensation from the republic's reserve fund already on the second day. Sometimes, the amount constitutes one-third of what is due. Using the money, the person should live and start restoring his/her dwelling. However, the resources coming after calculations from the centre are not enough for anything due to the growth of prices.

For example, residents of Botlikh district of Dagestan managed to get their compensation for the damage suffered in the course of battles in September 1999 against the bands of Basaev and Ghelaev, which attacked the republic, only last year after mass meetings of protest. It was only after pickets in front of the Dagestan State Council building that twenty residents of houses damaged as a result of a secret operation on liquidation of militants in Makhachkala last January managed to start getting compensations for destroyed dwelling. The "NG" reminds that on that occasion, three private houses had been demolished and several more damaged after a 17-hour battle with the use of heavy arms, grenade launchers and flame throwers.

In the opinion of Vasiliy Petrov, political scientist from Rostov, it is quite possible that very soon the people who have been left homeless in Dagestan as a result of recent secret operations may go into the street with actions of protest. He thinks that the republic which exists on subsidies will not be able to manage the problem independently, while the due compensations take too much time to come from the federal centre. "Moreover, it seems that there is no end to secret operations, suggests Petrov. This is why more bandits come after the ones who have been liquidated."

For reference, in the course of May, the power authorities have been carrying out secret operation in Dagestan on liquidation of militants, and used heavy armour, large-calibre guns, grenade launchers and flame throwers.

On May 21, special task force had been attacking a house in Proletarskaya Street in Khasavyurt for several hours. As a result of intensive shelling, the building caught fire, one wall collapsed and about 20 flats and a cafe on the ground floor were damaged. Scores of people were left homeless. Only one body of a bandit was found under the debris. When asked whether a single militant could have been dealt with at less damage, the law-enforcement agencies answered unambiguously: "We could not risk our people, so we called for armour straight away."

Meanwhile, attacks on dwelling houses with militants blocked in them have recently become more often not only in Dagestan, but across North Caucasus. Such operations have been carried out in Kabardino-Balkaria, Ingushetia and Karachaevo-Cherkessia.