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WELCOMED STEP: RESIDENTS OF BORDERLINE VILLAGES HAIL NEW LAW ON SUBSIDIES, OPPOSITION SAYS MORE IS NEEDED
SOCIETY | 19.11.14 | 12:07
http://armenianow.com/society/58610/armenia_border_villages_law_compensation
Photo: www.parliament.am
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Residents of Armenian villages situated close to the troubled
border with Azerbaijan have welcomed the new law envisaging certain
government subsidies that was passed with rare unanimity in the
Armenian parliament on Tuesday.
The Parliament voted 100 to none to approve the bill on "Social
Assistance to Borderline Communities", which implies partial
compensation from the state budget to 31 borderline communities for
the consumed natural gas, electricity and irrigation water, as well
as exemptions for land and property taxes.
According to Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration Vache
Terteryan, the government will define the volumes subject to
compensation for each year. The adoption of the bill is directed to
decreasing the social burden of residents of communities that are
direct "targets" of Azerbaijani armed forces.
"Other aid will be related to land, residential garden summer houses,
land tax and tax for property in borderline communities that are
unused because of military actions and are under enemy fire. They
are in constant danger for their life and property in those areas
which significantly limits the possibilities for private welfare,"
Terteryan said.
Seyran Janvelyan, a resident of the village of Koti in Armenia's
Tavush Province (181 km) from Yerevan, welcomed the government's new
initiative, saying 'better now than never'.
"They were supposed to think about this much earlier, so that the
villages did not get empty. After recent incidents when there was
fire day and night, many families left the village, my heart aches. I
wanted to go as well, even though I am so optimistic, and I think
that it will still be good. Of course, the initiative is a positive
step for this border-guard people, I hope not a late one though. Let
me tell you that Koti has no gas supply system, the pipes reached
the village but not the residents," the father of two told ArmeniaNow.
The head of the community of the village of Aygepar in Tavush Province,
Andranik Aydinyan, said that the villagers were discussing the new
initiative of the government since morning and welcomed the positive
step toward them.
Addressing the case of decreasing the social burden according to the
new law, Aydinyan said that the people are released of the land tax
for three years already, they pay 50 percent of irrigation water tax.
"Let's hope that positive progress will bring positive changes,
people gain some new hope. The important thing is that the ice has
started breaking. But let me tell you another thing - after the August
incidents the people stop turning on the lights in the evenings,
people pay very little for electricity," Aydinyan said jokingly.
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) lawmaker Armen Rustamyan thinks
that the law does not still solve all the problems of the borderline
communities. The problem of security for the villages is still open.
"We must define the status of borderline villages, it is easy to do,
and they are the villages that are within reach of enemy fire, they
live in a military regime. These are 10-15 villages. We must provide
for those villages conditions typical of military base protection,
where both security conditions and life safety conditions and
mobilization and self-defense conditions will be guaranteed. Those
problems, respectful government, are not solved," Rustamyan said,
addressing his words to government officials.
According to him, the problem of military protection of the villages
is the problem of the Ministry of Defense as well. Rustamyan thinks
that it is possible to build two schools or cultural centers fewer,
and instead solve the problem of military protection and self-defense
of the villages. He suggests organizing a separate discussion on the
issue so that the people living under fire understand that they are
cared about.
Nevertheless, according to the new law, it is provisioned to provide
direct monetary aid to the families of victims of mine explosions
or military actions of the Azerbaijani side for providing burial
ceremonies, putting up a tombstone, etc.
SOCIETY | 19.11.14 | 12:07
http://armenianow.com/society/58610/armenia_border_villages_law_compensation
Photo: www.parliament.am
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Residents of Armenian villages situated close to the troubled
border with Azerbaijan have welcomed the new law envisaging certain
government subsidies that was passed with rare unanimity in the
Armenian parliament on Tuesday.
The Parliament voted 100 to none to approve the bill on "Social
Assistance to Borderline Communities", which implies partial
compensation from the state budget to 31 borderline communities for
the consumed natural gas, electricity and irrigation water, as well
as exemptions for land and property taxes.
According to Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration Vache
Terteryan, the government will define the volumes subject to
compensation for each year. The adoption of the bill is directed to
decreasing the social burden of residents of communities that are
direct "targets" of Azerbaijani armed forces.
"Other aid will be related to land, residential garden summer houses,
land tax and tax for property in borderline communities that are
unused because of military actions and are under enemy fire. They
are in constant danger for their life and property in those areas
which significantly limits the possibilities for private welfare,"
Terteryan said.
Seyran Janvelyan, a resident of the village of Koti in Armenia's
Tavush Province (181 km) from Yerevan, welcomed the government's new
initiative, saying 'better now than never'.
"They were supposed to think about this much earlier, so that the
villages did not get empty. After recent incidents when there was
fire day and night, many families left the village, my heart aches. I
wanted to go as well, even though I am so optimistic, and I think
that it will still be good. Of course, the initiative is a positive
step for this border-guard people, I hope not a late one though. Let
me tell you that Koti has no gas supply system, the pipes reached
the village but not the residents," the father of two told ArmeniaNow.
The head of the community of the village of Aygepar in Tavush Province,
Andranik Aydinyan, said that the villagers were discussing the new
initiative of the government since morning and welcomed the positive
step toward them.
Addressing the case of decreasing the social burden according to the
new law, Aydinyan said that the people are released of the land tax
for three years already, they pay 50 percent of irrigation water tax.
"Let's hope that positive progress will bring positive changes,
people gain some new hope. The important thing is that the ice has
started breaking. But let me tell you another thing - after the August
incidents the people stop turning on the lights in the evenings,
people pay very little for electricity," Aydinyan said jokingly.
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) lawmaker Armen Rustamyan thinks
that the law does not still solve all the problems of the borderline
communities. The problem of security for the villages is still open.
"We must define the status of borderline villages, it is easy to do,
and they are the villages that are within reach of enemy fire, they
live in a military regime. These are 10-15 villages. We must provide
for those villages conditions typical of military base protection,
where both security conditions and life safety conditions and
mobilization and self-defense conditions will be guaranteed. Those
problems, respectful government, are not solved," Rustamyan said,
addressing his words to government officials.
According to him, the problem of military protection of the villages
is the problem of the Ministry of Defense as well. Rustamyan thinks
that it is possible to build two schools or cultural centers fewer,
and instead solve the problem of military protection and self-defense
of the villages. He suggests organizing a separate discussion on the
issue so that the people living under fire understand that they are
cared about.
Nevertheless, according to the new law, it is provisioned to provide
direct monetary aid to the families of victims of mine explosions
or military actions of the Azerbaijani side for providing burial
ceremonies, putting up a tombstone, etc.