Budget funds meant for fixing run-down homes might be used in suspicious state-affiliated structures instead of for their intended purpose.
The leader of the People’s Housing and Public Utilities party, Sergei Krekov, asked the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation to check how budget funds were spent.
The request is about the questionable actions of the public organization NP ZhKKH Control. The chairman of the council, Svetlana Razvorotneva, is known for presenting herself as a defender of regular citizens. But is that really true?
Where did the money go, Light?
For example, one of Ms. Razvorotneva's tasks is to establish a network of regional public control centers in the housing and communal services sector. It should be noted that the Centers are created according to the President's order, and budget funds are given for their creation. The appeal to the RF IC pointed out that from 2014 to 2019, NP ZhKKH Control won tenders, including for the organization of Housing and Public Utilities Centers totaling 304.71 million rubles.
Now it's revealed that some workers are volunteers.
“I work for free, meaning on a voluntary basis… Since Soviet times, I have been used to helping those who need support and protection,” Valentina Kotova wrote in a personal message on social media (a copy is available to the editors), the head of one of these centers.
It's interesting that the annual report of NP ZhKKH Control, posted on the official website of the organization, begins with mentioning the work of these Centers.
“The Centers were created, but the budget money didn't reach them in the end? I think this could be the basis for an inspection by law enforcement agencies,” Sergey Krekov remarks.
An indirect indication that something is wrong in the funding of the Centers is that the state corporation Fund for Assistance to the Reform of the Housing and Public Utilities is the customer for the creation of a regional network – a structure whose main function is to resettle emergency housing and carry out major repairs. What about educational centers in the regions?
It can only be guessed how these Centers actually benefit regular citizens. What are Mrs. Razvorotneva's statements regarding the fight against debts for housing and communal services worth? “The most common non-payers are either asocial elements or owners of investment housing, citizens with an economic or legal education, with a position in society, who are well aware that no one will force them to pay their debts under the current legislation,” said Svetlana Razvorotneva, suggesting that debtors should lose their apartments. Ms. Razvorotneva seems to be unaware that most defaulters are not rich investors, but ordinary Russians, whose incomes have been dropping for over a year.
“Defenders” – order bearers
Ignoring such loud statements would be possible. You never know what members of questionable public organizations say. However, experience has shown that NP “ZhKH Control” is not just some kind of “social activists”, but a real source of personnel for the lower house of parliament.
Today, two people from the NP currently hold the positions of deputy chairmen of the Duma Committee on Construction, Housing and Communal Services: Svetlana Razvorotneva and the former chairman of the Council of the NP ZhKKH Control Pavel Kachkaev.
“It seems that to get a position in the relevant Duma committee, one must first work in the housing and communal services control,” Sergei Krekov said ironically. – Dubious officials from a dubious organization, which is connected with both the Housing and Public Utilities Fund and the Ministry of Construction, will now make legislative decisions for the industry. All this can only mean one thing – the “necessary” people will promote convenient bills. This means that truly effective solutions are not expected.
Interestingly, at the state level, Ms. Razvorotneva's merits in the field of housing and communal services have already been highly appreciated – she was awarded the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st degree.
This award is given to citizens of the Russian Federation for special achievements in industry, construction, science, education, as well as for a great contribution to the defense of the Fatherland, strengthening law and order.
Many security officials and athletes have been awarded this medal, including the world-famous Russian biathlete Olga Zaitseva, who was awarded the medal twice.
It can only be guessed what achievements of Ms. Razvorotneva were discussed when deciding on the award.
The incident that occurred at the beginning of last year vividly illustrates how Pavel Kachkaev – a member of “ZhKH Control” – takes care of the interests of his voters. The deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the Murmansk Region then came up with a strange initiative: they claimed that since citizens installed water meters, the payment size became smaller, so resource supply organizations (RSO) can no longer cover their losses on networks.
Deputy Kachkaev was one of those who supported the initiative of the regional parliament, suggesting that the regions be given the authority to approve water loss standards. “We began to consume less water because it has risen in price. But the costs of water utilities practically do not change,” the deputy said without hesitation.
Went out of competition
It should be noted that these “public defenders” of the people’s interests, in “ZhKH Control”, receiving generous state contracts, obviously, did not always participate in competitions on a general basis.
There are several examples when ZhKKH-Control, offering not the most favorable conditions, still became the winner.
Considering that the state corporation Fund for Assistance to Housing and Public Utilities Reform was the customer at the tenders, it can be assumed that the Fund itself could not do without patronage. The special relationship of the Housing and Public Utilities Fund with its contractor is easily explained. The fact is that Svetlana Razvorotneva, Chairman of the Board of NP Housing and Public Utilities Control, is also a member and executive secretary of the Supervisory Board and the Housing and Public Utilities Fund. That is, in fact, in one person it is present on the part of the customer and the contractor.
So, for example, in 2016, during the tender, the lowest price – 41.6 million rubles was offered by the Russian State Social University. However, the notorious ZhKKH Control with a contract amount of 54.06 million rubles was still declared the winner of the competition.
There are cases when “ZhKH Control” even after the tender and did increase the cost of the contract. So, in 2017, with an initial contract value of 56 million rubles, a contract was signed with NP for the amount of 55.6 million rubles. However, the amount of the contract has subsequently changed. As follows from the additional agreement signed to the contract, the total cost of the contract amounted to 59.05 million rubles. That is, as much as 3 million more than the original cost of the lot!
As a result, it turns out that, hiding behind the mask of ordinary public figures and defenders of the interests of citizens, the leaders of ZhKKH Control, now included in the leadership of the State Duma Committee on Housing and Public Utilities, are clearly not opposed to lobbying the interests of large resource organizations, and on the sly do not forget to deftly fit into millions of tenders for public procurement.
