Working with war veterans at a low level

Baku/29.10.21/Turan: For several days now, people who call themselves participants in the first and second Karabakh wars have been protesting against the demolition of a small market in which they work.

Official structures report that this territory is a security zone of a 110 kV high-voltage overhead line, which is on the balance sheet of the Baku power grid, and poses a danger to life. Veterans, however, note that they have no other means of subsistence.

In recent months, some of the war veterans have reported social problems on social media and have been holding protests themselves. They claim that they are not provided with work and pension.

What is the social security of the participants in the war?

Ayaz Gasimov, a member of the Public Association of Karabakh Veterans, noted that war veterans face serious problems. “We have very big problems with the definition of disability. There were job seekers, doing sweeping and the like work. By focusing on 10-15 martyr families and veterans, they consider their caregiving job complete. Most of the families of martyrs and veterans were left without attention and care."

According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, in the post-Soviet period, the organization provided 31 thousand state services to the families of martyrs and 38 thousand war invalids. “During this period, timely and high-quality execution of social payments to veterans and members of martyrs' families was carried out. The relevant orders signed by President Ilham Aliyev last year also serve to significantly increase benefits for families of martyrs and war invalids. As a result, scholarships for families of martyrs and war invalids were doubled on average”.

The ministry noted that serious work was carried out on the timely appointment of scholarships, and today about 17 thousand families of martyrs and war veterans have been provided with benefits and social benefits. “On the other hand, the program of providing housing for families of martyrs and war invalids has been seriously expanded, in connection with which President Ilham Aliyev signed two orders. This year alone, instructions were given to provide individual houses to 3 thousand families. To date, 1,700 families of martyrs and war invalids have been provided with housing. In addition, the program continues to issue cars to war veterans, this year, 144 cars were awarded to war veterans who received a disability in the Great Patriotic War. Serious work is also carried out with them to provide social and psychological support. About 10 thousand people received support in socio-psychological, psychocorrectional work only from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population. "

It was emphasized that the ministry had started providing veterans with high-tech prostheses since December last year. "157 veterans who were injured during the Great Patriotic War and lost their lower and upper limbs received 166 high-tech prostheses of the latest generation."

The ministry noted that one of the main priorities of state support for families of martyrs and veterans is the issue of their employment: “special attention is paid to the employment of wounded soldiers and officers, persons with disabilities, families of martyrs who took part in the war, and today more than 7,800 citizens this category were involved in job placement activities. Most of them are reflected in the self-employment program. Thus, more than 5,200 families of martyrs and war invalids were provided with a self-employment program. This program is running on an ongoing basis."

It was noted that by the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev dated October 27, 2021, the Zafar subsystem will be created in the centralized electronic information system of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population.

"The new subsystem will allow flexible exchange of information in the field of ensuring the rights of families of martyrs and veterans."

Military expert Uzeir Jafarov said that the relevant structures are engaged in some kind of advertising in this matter. “Here is an apartment, there is a car, jobs for war veterans, a farm. All you have to do is throw the ashes in your eyes. There is no need to advertise it, since all this is done at the expense of public funds, and not at the expense of the personal funds of officials. Today the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection is not fulfilling its functions”.

According to him, at present only the problems of the participants of the Second Karabakh War are being discussed. "Of course, the 44-day war, war, victory is obvious. But we are making a big mistake by separating the participants in the first Karabakh conflict from the participants in the Second Karabakh war. At that time they fought without weapons in their hands, and without this protection, perhaps , most of Azerbaijan was occupied."

The expert noted that several people who died in the First Karabakh War and were buried in the Martyrs' Alley were deprived of the status of martyrs after 10-15 years. "The law does not allow this. Cancellation of an administrative act can be carried out only within 1 year. And it is only in court."

He noted that fake war veterans must be identified. “But you don't have to create problems for that. It is necessary to punish those who give false disabilities and veteran status. Who issues, sells an illegal permit for a land plot, land plot? Either the executive branch or the municipality. As a participant in the First Karabakh War, from the 90s to this day, I have been on the waiting list for the Azerbaijani government to provide me with a land plot. But my grandchildren will never see this turn, because all this is formal."

The expert emphasized that after a 44-day war, a department was created in the executive structures. “This department will deal with the work of veterans, participants of the Great Patriotic War. They also identified several citizens there who participated in the war. What these citizens are doing is unknown. Although today the word should be with them." ---0--