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KATNAGHBYUR ELDER: 'IF THE KING CAN'T HELP US, WHAT CAN THE VILLAGE MAYOR DO?'
LARISA PAREMUZYAN
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/21443/katnaghbyur-elder-if-the-king-cant-help-us-what-can-the-village-mayor-do?.html
14:37, December 11, 2012
The 18 kilometre road from the town of Stepanavan in Armenia's Lori
Province to the village of Katnaghbyur is practically impassable.
That's just one of the problems facing this community of 1,000.
Local residents say that none of community's overriding problems
have been addressed in the years since independence. While water is
abundant, none of the homes have running taps inside. Villagers must
go and fill up buckets from faucets installed on the streets.
Newly elected village Mayor Artour Savtalyan says that 80% of residents
seek seasonal work overseas.
"Katnaghbyur has become an old-aged home. Young people leave for
Russia and any foreign shores for work," said Rafayel Hovhannisyan,
a young community resident.
The five children of 77 year-old Nazik Sargsyan have also left for
greener pastures.
"I have five kids and each is now living in a different country. You
won't find a more depressed village than ours," Mrs, Sargsyan exclaims.
The village is not supplied with natural gas and the streets are in
terrible shape. Residents blame Armenia's president for the difficult
conditions they face.
Mrs. Galya, another resident, chimed in, "I would like for Serzh
Sargsyan to fix the roads leading to the village and to bring gas. We
need a little help here."
John Kirakosyan, another resident, points to the road connecting
Katnaghbyour with Stepanavan as the number one problem. Taxis charge
4,000 AMD for the trip and 5,000 at night.
He says the impassable road jacks up the price of goods transported
to the village.
Serzh Hakobyan, the former mayor, didn't run in the last election
and his four years in office could politely be described as a failure.
Mr. Kirakosyan believes the state must assist community mayors with
the necessary resources to improve conditions.
"What are people supposed to do? Must we go to Russia to work so that
we can pay our local taxes?" asks a disgruntled Kirakosyan.
Residents have little faith in the pledges made by government
officials. "They've been feeding us promises for the past twenty
years. But nobody acts on them," says Kirakosyan.
We asked the mayor to show us a copy of the village's four year
development plan but were told it was locked away in the accountant's
safe. The accountant was away at the time.
Mayor Savtalyan told us that he expects assistance from the Lori
Regional Authority to solve the primary problems facing the village -
a gas and water distribution system.
Savtalyan said that the village is drafting its 2013-2016 development
plan and that it will soon be presented to the municipal council
for passage.
As I was walking down one of the village streets, I noticed a young
woman chopping wood. When I approached her, she turned her head away.
The woman, Emma Poghosyan, told me she's been suffering from psoriasis
for the past ten years. Her face was marked with blotches.
"A few days ago I telephoned Yerevan for medical help. The doctor
told me to send someone to pick up some ointment for my face. But I
have no one to send."
Emma says she feeds her family of four with the monthly 16,000
AMD medical pension she receives. I advised her to seek financial
assistance at the village municipality.
"Hey, all they want is our vote. Once they get in office they forget
about us," said a disillusioned Emma.
As I left Katnaghbyur the prophetic words of Nazik Sargsyan rang in
my ears.
"What's the name of our king? Yep, Serzh Sargsyan. If the king can't
help our village what can the mayor possibly do?"
LARISA PAREMUZYAN
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/21443/katnaghbyur-elder-if-the-king-cant-help-us-what-can-the-village-mayor-do?.html
14:37, December 11, 2012
The 18 kilometre road from the town of Stepanavan in Armenia's Lori
Province to the village of Katnaghbyur is practically impassable.
That's just one of the problems facing this community of 1,000.
Local residents say that none of community's overriding problems
have been addressed in the years since independence. While water is
abundant, none of the homes have running taps inside. Villagers must
go and fill up buckets from faucets installed on the streets.
Newly elected village Mayor Artour Savtalyan says that 80% of residents
seek seasonal work overseas.
"Katnaghbyur has become an old-aged home. Young people leave for
Russia and any foreign shores for work," said Rafayel Hovhannisyan,
a young community resident.
The five children of 77 year-old Nazik Sargsyan have also left for
greener pastures.
"I have five kids and each is now living in a different country. You
won't find a more depressed village than ours," Mrs, Sargsyan exclaims.
The village is not supplied with natural gas and the streets are in
terrible shape. Residents blame Armenia's president for the difficult
conditions they face.
Mrs. Galya, another resident, chimed in, "I would like for Serzh
Sargsyan to fix the roads leading to the village and to bring gas. We
need a little help here."
John Kirakosyan, another resident, points to the road connecting
Katnaghbyour with Stepanavan as the number one problem. Taxis charge
4,000 AMD for the trip and 5,000 at night.
He says the impassable road jacks up the price of goods transported
to the village.
Serzh Hakobyan, the former mayor, didn't run in the last election
and his four years in office could politely be described as a failure.
Mr. Kirakosyan believes the state must assist community mayors with
the necessary resources to improve conditions.
"What are people supposed to do? Must we go to Russia to work so that
we can pay our local taxes?" asks a disgruntled Kirakosyan.
Residents have little faith in the pledges made by government
officials. "They've been feeding us promises for the past twenty
years. But nobody acts on them," says Kirakosyan.
We asked the mayor to show us a copy of the village's four year
development plan but were told it was locked away in the accountant's
safe. The accountant was away at the time.
Mayor Savtalyan told us that he expects assistance from the Lori
Regional Authority to solve the primary problems facing the village -
a gas and water distribution system.
Savtalyan said that the village is drafting its 2013-2016 development
plan and that it will soon be presented to the municipal council
for passage.
As I was walking down one of the village streets, I noticed a young
woman chopping wood. When I approached her, she turned her head away.
The woman, Emma Poghosyan, told me she's been suffering from psoriasis
for the past ten years. Her face was marked with blotches.
"A few days ago I telephoned Yerevan for medical help. The doctor
told me to send someone to pick up some ointment for my face. But I
have no one to send."
Emma says she feeds her family of four with the monthly 16,000
AMD medical pension she receives. I advised her to seek financial
assistance at the village municipality.
"Hey, all they want is our vote. Once they get in office they forget
about us," said a disillusioned Emma.
As I left Katnaghbyur the prophetic words of Nazik Sargsyan rang in
my ears.
"What's the name of our king? Yep, Serzh Sargsyan. If the king can't
help our village what can the mayor possibly do?"