Ohannes Stepanian is a diaspora investor. The entrepreneur has invested millions of dollars in Vayots Dzor Shatin community to found an animal farm. He provides ecologically clean products, he has also restored the traditional cattle breeding, some Armenian species of cattle. One of the components of the program is the promotion of tourism, as well as keeping the villagers in their native land by creating jobs. That is to say, Ohannes Stepanian does everything that the Armenian government has fixed in different strategies and programs.
The businessman said currently he is struggling not to lose the business. The problem is that the High Voltage Electric Networks (ENA) company carries out some work near the farm: it installs high-voltage electric wires. They have brought the justification that it is for the public interest, and have digged the area out so that according to Ohannes Stepanian, the cattle cannot climb to the pasture. Snakes are coming out beneath the cliffs adjacent to the cattle, entering the farm, besides, landslides have emerged in that area. Several farm workers, who are residents of the village have refused to work there, because of the snakes and landslides.
The case is in the Malatia-Sebastia general jurisdiction court, until a decision is made, the work should be suspended, but according Ohannes Stepanian, there is work going on at the moment. The ENA employers have responded to the complaint on landslides, and have filled the open cracks with soil, however, the problem has not been solved.
According to the farm’s veterinarian Tigran Eghoyan, they have called the RA President’s, and the government’s hotlines, but their complaint has remained unanswered.
In their example, these businessmen assure that there is no state support, “That’s a delusion, there’s nothing like that, the state does not support farming”.
In response to a question of Aravot.am on the businessman’s complaint, the Department of External and Public Relations of the “High Voltage Electric Networks” of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources informed that under the World Bank’s funding, “High Voltage Electric Networks” carries out the construction of the “Noraduz-Litchq-Vardenis-Vayk-Vorotan-1” air transmission line works, “The works are carried out by Kalpataru Power Transmission LTD (India). The “Noraduz-Litchq-Vardenis-Vayk-Vorotan-1” 220 kV air transmission line that was commissioned in the 1950s, is being reconstructed within the framework of “Electricity reliability” credit program. The electricity transmission line is of critical importance for the country’s energy sector, connecting the Kotayk, Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor and Syunik provinces to the main electricity generating centres in the country, central and southern parts. As a result of the reconstruction, the capacity of the Noraduz-Lerik-Vardenis-Vayk-Vorotan-1 transmission line will reach 310 MW from 250 MW.
Within this program, according to the loan agreement of 01.06.2011 signed between the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Republic of Armenia, with a view to fulfilling the obligations assumed by the Republic of Armenia, by the decision of the Government of the Republic of Armenia # 403-N of 16.04.2015, a number of lands, including the land parcel of 0.0241 hectares located in Shatin community of Vayots Dzor region, owned by Ohannes Stepanian, with the right of ownership, were recognized as an exclusive, supreme public interest, based on which, in the manner prescribed by law, concluding a sale contract with Ohannes Stepanian on the given land plot, the “High Voltage Electric Networks” CJSC acquired the property right.
Within the terms stipulated in the contract by the contractor company, the base of the “Noraduz-Litchq-Vardenis-Vayk-Vorotan 1” 220 kV air transmission line must have been constructed on the land parcel of 0.0241 hectares, however, the area of 0.0241 hectares of the “High Voltage Electric Networks” CJSC, which is heavily loaded with this base, intersects (borders) the land belonging to Ohannes Stepanian from all sides, so, it is impossible to carry out construction works on this land parcel without approaching them through the land plots belonging to the latter.
Taking into consideration the above mentioned, preliminary agreement was reached with Ohannes Stepanian on the ways to approach the base, however, the latter reported that the construction works were carried out outside the designated area, and as a result of its construction, stones had been thrown to his land damaging the buildings.
“High Voltage Electric Networks” CJSC, highlighting the importance of preventing the alleged danger threatening the health of people, regardless of whether the stones were being thrown as a result of construction work, examined the issue together with Ohannes Stepanian and the contractor. As a result, it was found that the base was being constructed according to the design requirements and in the intended place.
Meanwhile, “High Voltage Electric Networks” CJSC company commissioned the contractor to eliminate all sources of potential threats to persons in any case, as a result of which the land belonging to Ohannes Stepanian was cleared of the stones from the contractor company, as well as the threat of stones being thrown was eliminated”.
Lusine BUDAGHYAN
