‘Brushing problems under the carpet’ attitude led to major consequences - President on Ekibastuz accident
While addressing the extended meeting of the Government on Monday, President Tokayev called what happened in Ekibastuz ‘a real-life catastrophe’. He extended his gratitude to the residents of the city for their patience and volunteers for their selfless work.
The whole situation, in his words, showed where a ‘I don’t care’ attitude of those responsible for the preparations for the heating season can lead to.
According to the Head of State, the tradition of brushing the accumulated problems under the carpet instead of dealing with them has led to major consequences and it is high time to learn from that negative experience, carry out investigation and take measures.
Earlier it was reported that a major accident at the Ekibastuz power station on November 27 left the residents without central heating and sent the city into a deep freeze. The state of emergencies was imposed in the city. The President of Kazakhstan instructed the Government and local authorities to bring the situation in Ekibastuz under control and hold those responsible accountable. The state of emergency was lifted only on December 8.
The collapse in Ekibastuz, as the President called it, was just the beginning, as a string of mishaps followed with analogous situations in the cities of Petropavlovsk, Temirtau, Stepnogorsk, Balkhash, Karaganda, Aktobe, and Ridder showing the lack of responsibility on part of local authorities. Governor of Pavlodar region Abylkair Skakov was sacked for that reason.
The accidents in the housing and public utilizes sector has become the new normal in Kazakhstan, said the President, stressing that such problems should be monitored and dealt with at a regional level. Instead, the problems grow out of proportion and reach the national level.
Photo: t.me/bort_01
