Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, who visited Urgench on Saturday, chaired a video-conference meeting on the issue of real estate demolitions, which was attended by the ministers, governors and mayors.
Earlier on Friday night, about 200 people, angry with the non-payment of compensation for their demolished houses, blocked the Urgench-Khanka highway. While, on July 20, in Kashkadarya province, the Yakkabag district deputy mayor, who was trying to bulldoze a two-story shop, was set on fire by the building owner.
The Government sources told the Tashkent Times that the governor of the Kashkadarya province Zafar Ruziev and the governor of the Khorezm province Farhod Ermanov were severely warned at the meeting for serious drawbacks.
In addition, the Urgench city mayor, Shukhrat Abdullayev, and the city prosecutor J. Davlatov were reprimanded. Mayor of Yakkabag district Shokhmurod Donayev and district prosecutor Jamshid Khalilov were sacked following the probe by the Presidential Administration. A criminal case has been opened against the Yakkabag deputy mayor Mansur Tuymaev, and is now facing abuse of power charge.
PM Aripov stressed that the issue related to the demolition of residential and non-residential objects was taken under the personal control of the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
He announced that a new system for demolitions shall be introduced as of July 27, and that the chairman of the Karakalpakstan Ministers Council, the governors and Tashkent city mayor shall be obliged to coordinate the demolition plans with the Cabinet of Ministers.
The Ministry of Construction is entrusted with revising all master plans and minimizing possible damage to residential and non-residential facilities when drafting them.
The Ministry of Justice was instructed to perform re-inventory of existing regulationsacts related to the demolition of real estate and the payment of compensation, and to submit proposals to the government for their improvement.
Abdulla Aripov instructed the that the chairman of the Karakalpakstan Ministers Council, the governors and Tashkent city mayor shall as of July 27 to stop the demolition of residential and non-residential objects in the absence of prior notice and non-payment of compensation.
