“We must urgently amend the law "On Gas Supply" so that citizens can connect gas to their homes without requiring a property document. This is no longer a technical issue. This is a matter of people freezing in winter.
Modern.az reports that MP Razi Nurullayev stated this at today's plenary session of the Milli Majlis.
The MP noted that in many places, the gas pipeline passes right next to the house. However, gas is not supplied because the house's documentation is incomplete.
“Gas is right there, but the inside of the house is freezing cold. What kind of logic is this? If there's a pipe, if there's gas, why is there no heating in the house?
We tell the citizen: “You don't have a document, wait.” Alright, how is that person supposed to live until then? Should we tell winter to wait a bit? Should we tell a child not to be cold? Should we tell an elderly person to endure the cold? This is an approach detached from real life.
No alternatives are left. Those who cut tamarisk, those who cut trees, face criminal liability. When they cut a tree that grows half a meter outside their yard, or on shared land, they are pounced upon as if they have committed murder. Then they say, "You have land, so you don't qualify for social assistance." This is too much. There is no permission for firewood procurement. Coal is prohibitively expensive. The state also does not provide alternative fuel at an affordable price. In other words, the citizen is cornered from all sides."
The MP stated that alternatives to gas should be offered.
"I say openly: putting people in this situation is not a reform. If we impose a ban, we must also provide a way out. If you don't provide gas, you must offer an alternative. Otherwise, this is not reform, but indifference.”
R. Nurullayev noted that it is neither realistic nor fair to place the burden of problems that have arisen over 30–40 years due to state involvement and some officials turning a blind eye to illegalities in exchange for favors and bribes, onto citizens today and demand that they solve them within one or two months. This means burdening ordinary people with systemic problems accumulated over years in a short period and demanding the impossible.
“Therefore, my proposal is clear: One - a certificate from the executive authority should be considered a legal basis for gas connection. If a person lives in a house, it is unfair to leave them in the cold due to their documentation. Two - in areas without gas, the state should either organize the supply of firewood and coal or permit controlled procurement,” he emphasized in conclusion.
