The Cabinet buried the State Committee of Architecture together with its chairman, Elbey Gasimzadeh

On February 18 the chairman of the State Committee for Urban Development and Architecture (SCUDA) Abbas Alasgarov died, and on February 19 the Cabinet of Ministers decided to abolish the practice of compulsory construction companies receiving permits for construction in this State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service.

Until February 19, construction could begin after the SCUDA checked the project documentation and confirmed compliance with the requirements for density of construction, gardening, communications, social facilities, etc. The decision of the Cabinet said that the regional executive authorities will monitor compliance with these standards.

On February 26, one of the TV channels showed a story in which the heads of construction companies expressed satisfaction with the decision of the Cabinet, with the adoption of which they will speed up their work, as they will not coordinate projects with the State Committee. One of the interviewees said that he had to pay rented tenants for two months to pay rented housing, although the construction of a new one does not go, as the company is waiting for the permission of the State Committee.

The Union of Architects oppose the decision of the Cabinet. In an interview with Turan, the chairman of the Union, Elbey Gasimzadeh, figuratively speaking, said that the government buried the State Committee together with its chairman. On the same day with the funeral of A.Aleskerov, the Cabinet actually buried the State Committee, otherwise this decision cannot be called, E. Gasimzadeh noted.

The government does not understand the importance of the State Committee for Urban Development and Architecture, refer to this structure as an auxiliary, economic, although the SCUDA should play a major role in urban development, he added.

E.Gasimzade drew attention to the uninteresting appearance of residential buildings under construction, this can be seen from the projects on the billboards. "The President of the country signed a decree on the "Pilot Project" to improve the living conditions of citizens to demolish ugly Khrushchev. But in the microdistricts of Baku are obsolete buildings, but demolished historic buildings in the city center, where the implementation of the "pilot project" was not conceived. "

The decision of the Cabinet states that compliance with the norms that were previously controlled by the State Committee, are vested in local executive authorities. E.Gasymzade is indignant with this point and said that there are very few qualified architects in the district executive structures, and in some Executive Power these specialists are performed by specialists of absolutely other professions - economists, even zoo-technicians. They cannot perform the functions performed by the apparatus of the State Committee of several dozen specialists.

"Working in local government bodies is not in a position to control compliance with all norms of urban development. It is necessary that the SCUDA authorize at least a sketch of the future building, otherwise the appearance of Baku will be disfigured. The district authorities will also comply with construction norms as badly as they observe the rules of urban hygiene. Now they will quickly build houses and successfully throw out the inhabitants of old buildings," said the chairman of the Union of Architects.

But in fact, until February 19, construction companies, together with regional authorities, broke down buildings, sometimes with people living in them, we noticed.

"The late head of the SCUDA Abbas Alasgarov for the last three weeks was seriously ill, at this time his energetic deputies returned projects of several companies for revision. So, the State Committee did interfere with the violation of the rules. According to the information available to me, dissatisfaction among construction companies with the control responsibilities of the SCUDA was very high, and they obtained struck a favorable government decision. And the control functions assigned to the local authorities resemble the well-known proverb "after dinner mustard" - that is, now the buildings will be built, since it is convenient for builders. Even if the State Committee starts to protest against violation of construction norms, their remarks will not be taken into account - the builders will say that they have already invested, and it will be late to change the building, and the government will press the State Committee, demanding its silence, Gasimzadeh.

He reminded the government of the truth well-known to architects, that the violation of town-planning rules leads to major social upheavals.

"Architecture in Greek means" the main builder. " Having confiscated from the SCG the right to supervise the observance of construction norms, the Cabinet condemns Baku to dangerous social consequences, as mistakes in town planning lead to cataclysms," E.Gasimzadeh said.

The State Committee for Urban Development and Architecture refused to answer Turan's questions. The department of foreign relations of the State Committee for Hydrometeorology informed about the decision of the SCUDA leadership not to comment on the decision of the Cabinet. E.Gasimzadeh explained this decision by the reluctance of the new leadership of the State Committee to oppose the government order.

On the site of the State Committee we found the text of the speech of the late chairman. At the session of SCUDA Board on June 2, 2017, Abbas Alasgarov spoke about ignoring construction norms of urban development in the implementation of the "Pilot Project" renovation in nine districts of Baku.

Aleskerov spoke about the violation by some construction companies of the rules for the destruction of old housing, which threatens the safety of residents, since before the destruction, preparatory work is not carried out. The new projects do not provide for the required standards for engineering communications, car parks and pedestrian paths, sports facilities and recreation areas.

A. Alasgarov demanded that local authorities comply with the norms developed by the State Committee concerning the minimum permissible (1 hectare) size of construction sites (adopted at the Collegium on January 13, 2017). The late chairman of the SCUDA drew attention to a flagrant violation of the rules of building, demanded that the chief architects of the district comply with the norms of town planning and reported on projects that the State Committee returned to the Executive Power that did not comply with the rules.