Tweet
Shnogh Mayor to Hetq Reporter - "Get Lost!" Larisa Paremuzyan*
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/17526/shnogh-mayor-to-hetq-reporter---get-lost!.html
*
19:17, August 14, 2012
This is a photo of Shnogh village residents lining up for precious drinking
water from the only source around.
The fountain, located on the side of the road entering the village, also
attract residents from neighboring communities.
Haygaz Kochinyan has been the mayor of Shnogh for the past 16 years. The
3,000 village residents have been constantly after him to solve the water
supply problem.
Back in 2010, Kochinyan told Hetq that he had raised the issue in May with
Armen Gevorgyan, Minister of Territorial Administration, and was told that
the Asian Development Bank would be funding the repair of the
Stepanavan-Noyemberyan water pipe and that Shnogh would be supplied with
water after work finished in September.
The repair work has long since been finished, but the water problem
remains. The water pipe in question passes through a village neighbourhood
called Vardan's Boat.
It's not a complicated matter to get water flowing to residents. But to
avail themselves of the water flowing via this pipe the local branch office
of the Armenia Water and Sewage utility must first come in and collect the
fees.
This isn't in the best interests of Mayor Kochinyan who is currently
collecting water fees from the mountain springs located in a field called
Manstev.
WWII vet and Shnogh resident Janibek Sahakyan says that two years ago MP
Mikayel Vardanyan promised the villagers that he would have a larger
diameter pipe installed to transport all the water from the springs down to
the village.
`Ten days later the pipes arrived. But Mayor Kochinyan took the pipes to
a
piece of land he owns at the mouth of the Shek spring. He kept the pipes
there for one year, hoping that we'd forget all about them. Later, he
connected the pipe to the spring and directed the pipes to transport the
water to his fields. Geez, it's not just one thing or two. It's a pity
what's being done to us people,' says Sahakyan.
When Sahakyan told the mayor that the water flowing from Manstev was dirty
and unsafe to drink because of the livestock swimming in it, the veteran
was told to mind his own business.
`I suggested that a purification plant be built. Kochinyan turned around
and replied, `Don't tell me what to do. I am solving much bigger issues
here,'' recounts Sahakyan
Janibek Sahakyan also complains that the mayor took eight rooms on the
second floor of the local hospital and handed them over to his daughter as
private property. He adds that rooms on the first floor aren't supplied
with water, but that the mayor saw to it that the rooms on the second floor
were hooked up with water.
Sahakyan claims that the mayor is never found in his office. `He's always
busy with his private affairs. He owns a few gasoline stations and has 150
head of cattle. Let me ask you the following. Why is it that a village
resident must pay land tax on just 2,000 meters while Kochinyan pays
nothing on the 100 hectares he owns?'
We got in touch with Mayor Kochinyan for some answers. His reply was short
and to the point.
`Stay as far away from me as possible and don't enter this village. You
were here on Saturday. You think I don't know?'
After getting nowhere with Mayor Kochinyan we got in touch with Lori
Regional Governor Artour Nalbandyan.
When he understood the focus of our call Nalbandyan agreed that things had
gotten out of hand in Shnogh.
`Write what you want and don't worry about the mayor. We here at the Lori
Regional Administration are working on the Kochinyan matter. Conditions are
really bad in Shnogh.'
Haykaz Kochinyan will be running for re-election in the upcoming September
9 election and believes his chances are good.
Haykaz is the brother of former Lori Regional Governor Henrik Kochinyan.
Does the word nepotism ring a bell?
During his 16 years on the job, Haykaz hasn't been known for running an
open style of local government.
No wonder his re-election bid has raised the dander of Janibek Sahakyan and
other residents.
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/17526/shnogh-mayor-to-hetq-reporter---get-lost!.html
*
19:17, August 14, 2012
This is a photo of Shnogh village residents lining up for precious drinking
water from the only source around.
The fountain, located on the side of the road entering the village, also
attract residents from neighboring communities.
Haygaz Kochinyan has been the mayor of Shnogh for the past 16 years. The
3,000 village residents have been constantly after him to solve the water
supply problem.
Back in 2010, Kochinyan told Hetq that he had raised the issue in May with
Armen Gevorgyan, Minister of Territorial Administration, and was told that
the Asian Development Bank would be funding the repair of the
Stepanavan-Noyemberyan water pipe and that Shnogh would be supplied with
water after work finished in September.
The repair work has long since been finished, but the water problem
remains. The water pipe in question passes through a village neighbourhood
called Vardan's Boat.
It's not a complicated matter to get water flowing to residents. But to
avail themselves of the water flowing via this pipe the local branch office
of the Armenia Water and Sewage utility must first come in and collect the
fees.
This isn't in the best interests of Mayor Kochinyan who is currently
collecting water fees from the mountain springs located in a field called
Manstev.
WWII vet and Shnogh resident Janibek Sahakyan says that two years ago MP
Mikayel Vardanyan promised the villagers that he would have a larger
diameter pipe installed to transport all the water from the springs down to
the village.
`Ten days later the pipes arrived. But Mayor Kochinyan took the pipes to
a
piece of land he owns at the mouth of the Shek spring. He kept the pipes
there for one year, hoping that we'd forget all about them. Later, he
connected the pipe to the spring and directed the pipes to transport the
water to his fields. Geez, it's not just one thing or two. It's a pity
what's being done to us people,' says Sahakyan.
When Sahakyan told the mayor that the water flowing from Manstev was dirty
and unsafe to drink because of the livestock swimming in it, the veteran
was told to mind his own business.
`I suggested that a purification plant be built. Kochinyan turned around
and replied, `Don't tell me what to do. I am solving much bigger issues
here,'' recounts Sahakyan
Janibek Sahakyan also complains that the mayor took eight rooms on the
second floor of the local hospital and handed them over to his daughter as
private property. He adds that rooms on the first floor aren't supplied
with water, but that the mayor saw to it that the rooms on the second floor
were hooked up with water.
Sahakyan claims that the mayor is never found in his office. `He's always
busy with his private affairs. He owns a few gasoline stations and has 150
head of cattle. Let me ask you the following. Why is it that a village
resident must pay land tax on just 2,000 meters while Kochinyan pays
nothing on the 100 hectares he owns?'
We got in touch with Mayor Kochinyan for some answers. His reply was short
and to the point.
`Stay as far away from me as possible and don't enter this village. You
were here on Saturday. You think I don't know?'
After getting nowhere with Mayor Kochinyan we got in touch with Lori
Regional Governor Artour Nalbandyan.
When he understood the focus of our call Nalbandyan agreed that things had
gotten out of hand in Shnogh.
`Write what you want and don't worry about the mayor. We here at the Lori
Regional Administration are working on the Kochinyan matter. Conditions are
really bad in Shnogh.'
Haykaz Kochinyan will be running for re-election in the upcoming September
9 election and believes his chances are good.
Haykaz is the brother of former Lori Regional Governor Henrik Kochinyan.
Does the word nepotism ring a bell?
During his 16 years on the job, Haykaz hasn't been known for running an
open style of local government.
No wonder his re-election bid has raised the dander of Janibek Sahakyan and
other residents.