Tbilisi Mayor’s Office to Allocate over 1m Gel for Fire-Affected Vendors

Tbilisi City Hall will allocate 1,100,000 gel from the reserve fund to assist the victims of the trade center Children's World, which burnt down in January.

Tbilisi City Assembly members made the decision on Monday at the Sakrebulo session. Forty-two deputies supported the initiative, while the remaining 34 abstained.

Jaba Samushia, Chairman of the Finance Committee of Tbilisi City Assembly, said that 350 affected vendors will receive 3,000 gel's worth of assistance each. "It was not an easy process, but in the end we agreed on it. This is the best that the municipality can do for the victims,” Samushia said, adding that this is one-time only assistance.

Mamuka Akhvlediani, Sakrebulo MP from the Movement for Freedom-Tbilisi faction said that one-time assistance will not be enough to help the people, who suffered huge losses due to the disaster. “I call on my colleges not to be limited by this 3,000-Gel assistance. These people have far more problems and they need our help,” he said.

The Didube District trade center in Tbilisi, known as Children’s World, and its adjacent shops and a market, burnt due to an extensive fire which broke out at the territory early morning on January 30, destroying the vendor's property. The cause of the fire is still unknown. The police have launched an investigation under Article 187 of the criminal code, which covers the destruction of another persons’ property.

By Thea Morrison

Photo source: rferl.org