Needs of veterans of First Karabakh war forgotten in 4th package of social reforms

Baku/16.01.23/Turan: Since the first of January, the state has raised pensions, benefits and salaries to about 6.00.000 citizens of various categories, including former military men. 

In particular, payments to Soviet veterans of the war against Germany have been raised (330 manats per month, 81 people in 2022). Benefits for disabled people who were injured during the Karabakh wars have also been raised. However,  the state has not somehow remembered about the veterans of the Karabakh wars who do not have disabilities. 

Recall that this category of citizens received a monthly veteran's pension in the amount of 30, then 50 manats. On April 1, 2019, a presidential pension for veterans of the Karabakh war in the amount of 80 manats was established by presidential decree. The decree says that the increment is given as compensation for canceled benefits for utility costs.

Note that since 2019, all utility costs grew several times, but the presidential supplement to the veteran's pension has remained the same. Now about 70.000 veterans of the first Karabakh war live in Azerbaijan. Some do not work, many are sick, lost their health during the difficult war years. The veteran's pension for some of these people may be more significant, since the minimum pension in Azerbaijan is only 280 manats.

The head of the "Korkud research center", a member of the board of the organization of reserve officers Tarlan Eyvazov, in an interview with Turan, said that 80 manats of the monthly veteran's pension does not cover the increased prices for utility costs, as this is explained in the presidential decree.

"Electricity, water, Internet, gas, telephone, transport - everything has become much more expensive. As a result of the pension reform, 200.000 veterans and invalids of wars are deprived of benefits. The state now provides the money saved on this as the fourth package of social security of the population.

The government should calculate the increased prices for everything, and establish a new size of the presidential pension for veterans. I think that it'd be appropriate to issue a pension adequate to the new prices, that is, the increase should be at least 50% (160 manats per month)," T.Eyvazov said.

The increase in veteran pensions in 2019 occurred at the initiative of a former employee of the press service of the Ministry of Defense Uzeyir Jafarov. In an interview with Turan, he said that veteran pensions must necessarily be increased.

"Not a single head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of the Population participated in the war, but they successfully advertise themselves in the press. They say that "probably in the future, in the next package of social reforms, the needs of war veterans will be taken into account." When making such a frivolous statement, they show a disrespectful attitude towards veterans. They know about the dissatisfaction of veterans bypassed by the decree on increasing payments from January 1. There are many other unresolved issues. Many participants in the military events of 2016, 2020 and 2022 did not receive the title of war veteran. This further diminishes the confidence of the population in the MLSSP," he said.

Uzeyir Jafarov considers it wrong to divide veterans into participants of the First and Second Karabakh Wars. This causes dissatisfaction with the veterans of the older generation. For some, the 80-manat presidential scholarship is the only source of payment for all expenses. "It would be right to raise the veteran's pension to 160 manats per month," U. said.Jafarov, noting that "the Ministry will say that there is nowhere to take money to increase veteran payments. In fact, if the government wants to fulfill the just will of the war participants, it is not difficult to find budget financing," he added.

According to the Karabakh war veteran Kamal Aliyev, the veterans of the First War who returned unharmed were forgotten. There are no benefits. 80 veteran manats per month are devalued by inflation, veterans' benefits are not indexed. Veterans don't even think about buying terribly expensive medicines, trying to treat old wounds with folk methods.

Kamal Aliyev is at the pre-retirement age. He worked all his life while the MLSSP determined for him a minimum pension, the same as for those who have never worked - 280 manats per month. With 80 manats of the presidential pension, he will receive 360 manats, this amount will not be enough for anything.

"What is the attitude towards the participants of the 92-94 war? If the young guys of that time had not defended Aghdam, the front would have passed beyond Aghjabedi and Barda, the Armenians openly talked about the task of reaching the western bank of the Kura, cutting Azerbaijan into two parts. The country could simply not exist. We protected her as best we could. Is it expensive, troublesome to mint and issue medals to veterans "For the defense of Aghdam", "Kelbajar", "Zangilan" and other five Azerbaijani regions?

They die by age, from diseases, forgotten by the state. The people respect their defenders, and for the state we are a gray faceless mass. Our native country got rid of us with 80 manats a month," the veteran told the Turan News Agency.

In turn, the TNA agency contacted a military expert involved in government discussions on the problems of the Karabakh war participants. He asked not to be named, as he spoke at a closed meeting on this topic and spoke there about the need to revise the size of the veteran's pension.

"It would be wrong if I repeat in the press my speech made at a closed meeting. I will only say that the issue is being considered, it's all about solving the issue of budget financing...", - explained the military expert.-0-