Residents of Ingushetia have to repair rural roads at their own expense
The situation in the village of Plievo, where local residents had to pave the street relying on their own efforts and resources, is typical for the private sector throughout Ingushetia. Only a minimal portion of roads are being repaired by order of the local authorities, and the repair is often done poorly.
The village of Plievo is one of the ten largest settlements in Ingushetia, and its population increases annually. Four schools are already operating in Plievo, and another is under construction. This information has been told to a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent by local resident Issa, an economist by education.
Plievo resident Issa has also noted that the heads of the village administration change often and “at the beginning of their activities, they promise a lot,” but do not have enough time to fulfil their promises. The local resident has mentioned the construction of new roads and the repair of old ones as an urgent problem for the village of Plievo. “People buy old houses and build new ones. New streets and entire neighbourhoods appear. Road repairs and construction of new ones are a never-ending headache for the local authorities. The republic allocates some funds, but this is so little, and this money is barely enough to pave the central streets of the village,” Issa believes.
The resident of Plievo has stated that his relative participated in a villagers’ gathering after residents of one of the streets laid asphalt relying on their own efforts and resources. “Some of my fellow villagers have suggested that funds are being allocated for road repairs and construction, but for some reason the money does not reach the villagers,” Issa said, citing his relative.
The villager suggests that local entrepreneurs should be involved in road construction in the private sector. Akhmed Sultygov, the former head of the Plievo village, had successful experience in interacting with business: with the help of activists and entrepreneurs, he organized the preservation of the “Borga Kash” mausoleum, a historical monument, which was built in 1405-1406. “I am convinced, based on my own experience, that the problems of repair and construction of new roads should be resolved not behind the scenes, but openly, with the involvement of the public and the block leaders who will represent a certain street,” the economist has added.
Ilez, a resident of the Plievo village, together with his neighbours, participated in the independent repair of his street. However, according to his report, at the final stage, the local administration helped to complete the street repair.
“My house is located on Lermontovskaya Street. The year before last, it was decided to repair part of the road and to lay new asphalt pavement in some places. We contacted the village administration long before the start of the work, but they told us that it was not possible to allocate money for our needs at this time. We decided not to wait and still start the work, relying on our own efforts and resources. At the final stage, the village administration helped us, and thanks to them we finished our ‘long-term construction project’,” the villager told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
Residents of other villages and towns also have to solve road problems relying on their own efforts and resources. Murat, a resident of Nazran, owns a family plot and a house on Sadovaya Street. His family lived here before the deportation and was able to return to their home in 1957. Murat notes that since then, the residents of the street have been taking care of its condition at their own efforts and resources.
“Over the years, there have been so many road surfaces: every year, as potholes and ruts appeared, we agreed with our neighbours, raised money as much as a person could afford, and brought in gravel or laid asphalt. All the problems were resolved by the residents of our street. Maybe a couple of times the district administration helped us with transport, but this rarely happened: ‘the drowning man’s salvation is the drowning man’s own doing’,” the local resident explained to the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
Vakha, an employee of the House of Culture in the village of Kantyshevo, believes that the roads in his village were repaired by the district authorities. “The money was allocated, and two central streets, Djabaginskaya and Greidernaya, which cross the entire village, were paved at the expense of the state. No one raised money for the repair works, and the surface is smooth,” Vakha reported. His fellow villager Madina objected that, far from the two central streets, the residents of Kantyshevo also have to take care of the condition of the roads relying on their own efforts and resources.
“Djabaginskaya and Greidernaya are central streets. And if a house is located in a side street, away from the main street, then the road leading to the side street has to be improved by the private sector residents for their own money. Such ‘help’ from road workers to the private sector is no secret,” the young woman told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
Mansur, an activist from the village of Dolakovo, has confirmed that residents of the private sector often repair roads using their own savings. “Usually once a year we have to collect money for repair works,” the villager said.
The activist has noted that many Ingush people know the technology for paving sidewalks. However, construction crews, who work on the instructions of the republic’s authorities, grossly violate the technology. “A teenager who grew up in the village is able to pave a sidewalk. I watched the crew work, and I noticed that the technology for laying asphalt was violated ‘from A to Z.’ The result of their work is deplorable: four months have passed, and the asphalt has begun to crumble,” the activist has reported.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 01, 2025 at 12:57 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.