“Vartenis is one of the districts of Armenia that is in a very hard
position,” said Minister of Labor and Social Security Aghvan Vartanyan
last week during a visit to the Gegharkunik region. “We have to take
this into consideration when making projects to help the society.”
Years ago the district has been a center of industry. The residents of
Vartenis have not gone to Russia to earn a living.
The mines for solder gold, the rock mines and nearly sixteen industrial
organizations have always provided the people with plenty of jobs. That
is the reason why many people of Vartenis are not successful abroad. At
least, that’s what the residents themselves are saying. Today,
employment is very low in the district and the majority of the
population is in poverty. A group of taxi drivers had gathered in the
center of the city. “We have no other choice. There is no work. We get
one-two customers a day, just as long as we keep food on the table.”
There are 875 people looking for work in the employment agencies of
Vartenis. The unemployed make up a large number of people. Out of the
40,000 people living in Vartenis, only 2500 have jobs. The solder gold
mine, which has provided people to keep a roof above their heads,
currently has 400 workers. “We work, while the Indians enjoy their time
here,” complain the locals. Many of the residents have returned
the land to the state budget due to not being able to pay for the
expenses for new technology. For the residents of the district, nature
has not been too kind to them during the past few years. The damages
caused by hail and windstorms in the year of 2004 are no longer taken
into consideration at the city council. It doesn’t matter, there will
be no compensation. The Vartenis population was complaining about the
indifference of the authorities. They remember that President Robert
Kocharyan has visited the district three times: “One time it was the
opening of the fertilizing factory which lasted for one to two months,
the second visit was in 2003 for the construction of electric stations
which have not been built yet. I also went there before the
presidential elections.” In general, this district is not well-known by
the authorities. The residents do not even rely on the opposition.
“Demirchyan, Geghamyan and Aram Sargsyan. These three are like Krilov’s
fable-each person pulls the cart towards him. In the end that cart
landed in the hands of Kocharyan,” says taxi driver Mher Galstyan.
Mayor of Vartenis Valodya Khloyan is in favor of the authorities,
especially the Prime Minister. “ I ask for you to give a special thanks
to Andranik Markaryan for taking care of expenses on time.”
The residents of Vartenis did not really expect anything from the visit
of Aghvan Vartanyan. Instead, some people who had gathered around the
city council were thinking that maybe the council has nothing to
offerl. But the minister did not delay informing the public about
his main purpose. “The implementation of the project entitled “Subsidy
in exchange for work” and “Social Security Cards” is very important for
Armenia and is not functioning well in the region, especially in
Vartenis. There are districts that implement 3-4 projects, and there
are districts that have no project at all.
Somebody working in the regional council, probably due to personal
interests, assigns a couple of projects to one village. There are
villages that absolutely have not taken advantage of that. I ask the
regional director to pay more attention”. Head of the regional council
Stepan Barseghyan is attentive. “It’s just that not all the heads of
the villages can present a decent project.”
The Minister of Social Security had two meetings in Vartenis-one was
planned and the other without an appointment. It was foreseen to make a
short visit to the city council and the Tun-Internat (Convalescence
Home). The minister got acquainted with the city’s problems at the city
council. At the “Tun-Internat”, Mr. Vartanyan only managed to enter the
office of the director and to make comments about the furnishings:
“Isn’t it a little too glamorous for a hospital?” He did not enter the
hospital, sensing that it would be very difficult for him to meet with
the patients. During his visit to the newly built building of the “Tun
Internat”, director Samvel Khachatryan insisted that the hospital be
ready to admit 50-60 new patients in the upcoming days.
The meetings with the heads of the region’s village and the invalid
patient Samvel Khachatryan were not planned. The above mentioned people
had probably gathered to share their problems with the Minister;
however, the only response they got was that the propaganda being done
for the social security cards is poor. The Minister forced the
villagers to focus on the social security cards and write about their
problems and send them to him. He claimed that he will “definitely
respond.” Suren Khachatryan, who is disabled, was asking for one thing:
a small cart. The one that he has is old and does not move when riding
in dirty areas: “If he can not give me that, then why does he come all
the way here?” The minister promised to give him a cart. The mayor
commented: “It is better for him to have a small cart and go sell
sunflower seeds, rather than go here and there asking people for
money.”
The Social Security Minister’s visit to the Gegharkunik region was more
rewarding. In response to our question of whether or not he solved more
or less the issues of the residents, the minister said: “The visit was
acknowledgeable.”