The Legislative Chamber in the first reading passed a bill banning the privatization of parks at its November 25 session, the press service of the lower house said. This is the first bill reviewed by the new parliament.

On September 27, during debates, the leader of the Adolat party, Robakhon Makhmudova, spoke out against the constructing buildings on the territories of parks and green areas, proposing to stop the privatization of parks.

The MPs found out that there were 940 illegal buildings in 184 parks, as well as illegal amusements. According to her, there is a practice of confiscating parks by the local mayor’s offices, after which illegal privatization or alienation of state property occurs. She stated that the party was in favor of tightening the rules in this area, as well as a ban on the privatization of parks, medical and educational institutions.

In recent years, the practice of constructing buildings and structures on the territory of parks, squares, alleys and green areas that are state-owned has been expanding. This has led to the cutting down of perennial trees and environmental pollution.

Today, the laws have no strict rules prohibiting the privatization of such objects and their lands, as well as the construction of buildings and structures on their territory.

In this regard, the bill developed by the Adolat party and the Ecological Party provides for a ban on the alienation of places of cultural recreation (parks, squares, alleys and green areas with trees), their lands, as well as buildings and structures on these lands. It is also prohibited to reduce the territory of these places, construct buildings and structures on their lands (with the exception of light structures) or expand the area of ​​existing buildings.

The bill proposed to toughen criminal liability for such offenses and to include botanical gardens in the list of protected natural areas, as well as to prohibit their alienation and construction on their territories.

The MP from the UzLiDeP party Zafar Khudoyberdiev noted that the bill refers to a ban on the privatization of parks only in the territory of Tashkent, regional and district centers, so he proposed to clarify this point, since there are large cities such as Chirchik, Almalyk, Margilan, Kokand and others that may not be included in this list.

The MP Khairullo Gaffrov from the EcoParty, who presented the document, said that the ban applies to all parks and alleys in the country.

Speaker of the Legislative Chamber Nuriddin Ismoilov noted that the bill was important, but required revision in the second reading.