POPULATION OF KASHATAGH DECLINES

Lragir.am
27 June 06

Over the past several years the population of the region of Kashatagh,
NKR has been declining. After the armistice the local government
had about 100 settlements populated, mainly thanks to extra sources
of funding and privileges. For instance, the people of Kashatagh did
not pay for electricity. Now there are no privileges, and some people
leave the region.

We cannot stop emigration because social conditions are very bad in
the region, says Hamlet Khachatryan, the head of the administration
of the region over the past two years.

According to the results of the latest census, 10 thousand people live
in the region. 51 out of 71 settlements do not have electricity supply.

Armo Tsatryan, the minister of territorial management and development
of infrastructures, affirmed that in 2006 another 12 communities will
have electricity. 140 million drams have been allocated for this
program. 50 million drams have been allocated for gasifying. This
year 35 families in the town of Berdzor will have electricity.

The settlement of Kashatagh is a strategic issue. In this context,
it is surprising that the population of the region is declining,
especially after the replacement of the head of the government of
the region. In other words, when the funding and governance of the
region is controlled by the NKR government. The former head of the
government of the region Alexan Hakobyan was completely independent
from the government of Karabakh. It is difficult to say whether it
was good or bad, at that time, however, the population grew and social
problems were solved quickly.