Several families in Chechnya lose their flats for non-payment of municipal bills

The administration of the capital of Chechnya has launched an active campaign aimed to increase collections for municipal services. In the opinion of Grozny officials, it is the time "to pay in full for the benefits of civilization." Apartment rental agreements are cancelled with those who fail to pay for their flats.

"Starting from February 2007, the indebtedness of the population to municipal enterprises of Grozny has reached over 115 million roubles," says Isa Akhmadov, Director of the Municipal Unitary Enterprise "Settlement-Cash Centre of Grozny".

In the recent several months, the Mayoralty of a Grozny has taken a number of steps towards increasing the collections for municipal services: active information and propaganda campaign in local media, cutting-off debtors from electricity supply, expansion of a network of cash department for taking payments, etc.

Also, the city administration has sent dozens of cases to courts asking to cancel apartment rental agreements with those tenants who fail to pay for municipal services.

"The law gives us the right to cancel such agreements. Actually, it means that the tenants will be evicted," said a source in Grozny administration. Four such agreements, as he said, have already been cancelled.