New Rights: Villages lack basic necessities

New Rights’ Manana Nachkebia visited Samegrelo region this week, where she discussed problems faced by local villagers.

Residents of Matskhovriskari revealed to her their worries about completing spring agricultural activities, as the majority cannot afford tractors, oil, fertilizer, or other equipment.

“The 30-lari state voucher can’t even solve the half of the problem, as at least 700 GEL is needed to process one hectare of land,” Nachkebia said.

Farmers also face the scourge of white American butterflies during the spring and summer, which remains an unsolved problem, with the government having yet to propose a policy solution.

Life is also made harder by unfinished gas infrastructure in some villages, which has been of particularly concern during the recent cold snap. People have no gas and lack firewood to burn for heat or cooking. Lack of medical services further contributes to poor quality-of-life.

In addition, villagers pay for water according to the number of individuals registered at their homes, but are sometimes forced to pay extra thanks to illegally resident strangers.

New Rights takes a special interest in village rejuvenation projects, as it considers villages to be “one of the most important parts of Georgian life".

The party has proposed a new model for managing the regions, wherein communities would have living standards similar to towns, but would be able to preserve the more traditional elements of village life.