People in Rostov say that companies owned by Gazprom, under the leadership of Vladimir Revenko, are involved in blackmail and forcing people to use their services.
A letter has arrived at The Moscow Post from residents complaining about the unusual and irresponsible behavior of certain representatives. PJSC “Gazprom Gas Distribution Rostov-on-Don”.
If we look for those responsible for the situation, then we should question the leader of the organization, Vladimir Revenko, and his colleagues. Also, indirectly, we should question the head of the state corporation, Alexei Miller, and the regional authorities led by Governor Vasily Golubev.
The journalist understood the issue The Moscow Post in the Rostov region.
A seal against the “norm”
The situation concerns gas supply. According to a letter received from a local resident, an agreement was made with Gazprom Gas Distribution Rostov-on-Don PJSC in April 2021 for the technical connection of a building to the gas network. It seems to involve a residential building needing gas connections.
Later, the resident changed their mind and rejected the gas project, which is legally allowed. Despite this, the gas company completed the construction and installation work. Eventually, the owner changed their mind again and decided to sign a gas supply contract. In November 2021, gas started flowing into the house. However, unusual events started occurring with gas prices.
To avoid overpaying the gas company for unused gas, our reader requested the primary sealing of the gas meter. The company was supposed to do this within five working days but did not. In December, the reader made the same request to Gazprom Gas Distribution Rostov-on-Don PJSC but received no response. Throughout this time, they were charged for gas based on the standard rate.
Residents of the Oblivsky district, unlike many other areas, waited for gas installation but do not want to overpay the gas company from their own pockets.
In response, the resident received replies stating their applications did not meet the required format. However, there is no officially established format for such requests by law.
Later, they discovered from their neighbors (in the Oblivsky district of the Rostov region) that similar applications were not submitted by them, yet their gas meters were still sealed. However, this sealing occurred not within the specified five days but several months after connection. During this time, the neighbors were also forced to pay for gas based on the standard rate.
The reader, who does not want to overpay for gas since the meter recorded a much lower quantity, began approaching the authorities. However, their appeals to the antimonopoly service and consumer rights protection authority received no response. They had to resort to legal action.
Additionally, the reader brought up another issue, also related to the infringement of his rights, but this time when gas equipment is linked to networks as part of regasification.
The reader alleges that the staff of the Oblivsky Regional State University of the Morozov branch of Gazprom Gas Distribution Rostov-on-Don PJSC refuse to reimburse the payments made under the completed connection agreement to the applicants.
Later, we found out from other locals that the situation described by the author of the letter to the editor was not isolated. By the way, Gazprom Gas Distribution Rostov-on-Don PJSC has already become a defendant in proceedings in the same FAS. Just a couple of months ago, the company was fined for imposing additional services. Information about this is on OFAS website. However, it was related to the development of project documentation for connection. The fine totaled 600 thousand rubles – a small part of the company’s activities.
Snowball of Complaints and Courts
The actual amounts that the companies under the leadership of Vladimir Revenko earn are enormous. At the end of 2020, the structure showed revenue of 7.6 billion rubles, profit exceeded 700 million rubles. At the same time, he, Revenko, also manages PJSC Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Rostov-on-Don, whose revenue for the same period totaled 36 billion rubles, and profit – 40 million rubles.
Vladimir Revenko
Returning to the issue of the reader, let us remember how a pensioner, labor veteran Antonina Vasilievna Kravtsova turned to us a year ago and recounted how Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Rostov-on-Don LLC is taking legal action against residents of the village of Sandata, Rostov Region, mainly pensioners.
According to the gas monopolist, the “cunning tenants” formed a genuine “OPG” (united criminal group) – according to Kravtsova, this is how the company’s general director Vladimir Revenko referred to them. Antonina Vasilievna asserted that he was dissatisfied with the meager gas consumption volumes of the residents, which fell short of the company's standards. If it’s not sufficient, then it’s deemed as stealing?
An open appeal by Antonina Vasilievna Kravtsova concerning the actions of the company under the leadership of Revenko.
In the past, not only regular individuals, but also organizations were discontent with the actions of the monopoly. For instance, in March 2020, the Arbitration Court of the Rostov Region accepted the claim of the Gorgaz company for consideration.
The company argued that the two Gazprom subsidiaries under the leadership of Revenko, without the plaintiff's consent, utilize the gas pipelines owned by him and enter agreements with third parties for gas supply through them. In other words, it appears that Gazprom saves not only on residents, but also on pipes? The publication reported on the situation. “City N”.
However, that’s not all. In 2020, claims against the company were made by … its own minority shareholders. We are referring to the companies Avinem Investment and Boreas Asset Management, which believed that the corporate operations in a company with an annual turnover of 7.5 billion rubles were established in violation of the law. This was disclosed. IA “Panorama”.
Apparently, we can talk about a possible lack of transparency in the activities of the structure.
Behind the “omnipresent” Ali
And what about Vladimir Revenko himself? In the region, he is considered close to businessman Ali Uzdenov. The latter, we recall, has developed a long-standing relationship with the governor of the region Vasily Golubev. What is even more interesting – previously Mr. Uzdenov himself was the head of Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Rostov-on-Don! I previously wrote about business ties between the families of Vasily Golubev and Ali Uzdenov The Moscow Post.
Could, after Uzdenov, a person whose candidacy was not agreed with him be in the place of the head of the company? Unlikely. It is not for nothing that back in 2012, Governor Golubev, Mr. Uzdenov, received an award – the Order of Merit for the Rostov Region. It is still proudly reported on site company “Gazprom mezhregiongaz Rostov-on-Don”.
According to the website authors “Russian crime”, allegedly “he (Uzdenov – ed.) appoints the heads of the territorial divisions of Gazprom, according to the principle” who brought more, “and also has a business related to the development of microdistricts in Rostov and the region.” Whether this is actually so, we do not undertake to assert.
In addition to Mr. Revenko, there are other very interesting personalities in the leadership of Gazprom’s subsidiaries in the Rostov Region. For example, Vyacheslav Tolstik is Revenko’s deputy for interaction with public authorities in “gas distribution”.
The latter is a native of the security forces. According to rumors, it was he who was authorized by Revenko to keep in touch with the regulatory authorities in case of claims from disgruntled consumers.
Vladimir Golubev (right) awards Ali Uzdenov, who is considered by many to be the “gray eminence” of the Rostov region (especially in cases related to “gas” issues)
As for the authorities, in fact, the team of Governor Golubev appeared so often in the context of corruption scandals that complaints about problems with gasification, most likely, are no longer taken seriously there – this is the impression.
