People forcibly displaced from Artsakh’s Hadrut region held a rally outside the Armenian government building on Wednesday demanding a solution to their housing issue.
Speaking to reporters, Artur Stepanyan, a resident of Hadrut, said he had met with a deputy minister of labor and social affairs to demand a rent refund.
The official has told him that the ministry is drafting a new social support program to give each displaced person a monthly payment of 50,000 drams. A decision will be made within this week, he said, adding they will be paid for September and October at once.
At the same time, Artur Stepanyan said that no clear guarantees were given at the meeting that the program would be approved.
Also, he said the government had sought to deprive the displaced pensioners of 50,000 drams assistance.
“I told them that if they are deprived of the financial support, they will have no means to live at all," the protester said.
Stepanyan says they have raised the rent issue since the government no longer provides 68,000 drams in assistance.
"It is not pleasant for us to come here every time to voice our complaints, it is unpleasant for anyone, naturally" Stepanyan said.
"We were not satisfied with the meeting, we can't live on our salaries and pay the rent, it's small, now we are going to the Artsakh government’s office. We’ve filed applications and will stay there until our rent refund is provided,” he said.