News / Новости

Uzbekistan: Mahalla – an effective organ of self-government

04/04/2018 22:27

In the Strategy of Actions on the five priority directions of development of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2017-2021, great attention is paid to the enhancement of the role of non-state, public organizations and local bodies of self-government, and the effectiveness of activities of the mahalla institutes in public administration.

The solution of this task is a priority direction for the mahallas meetings of citizens.

In Uzbekistan, the mahalla is an effective organ of self-government of citizens, a centre of upbringing, culture, and the closest to the people. The role and the value of mahallas is always invaluable in the solicitous preservation of national and general values, culture, lifestyle, thinking and spirituality of the multinational people of Uzbekistan those are passed from generation to generation.

Since the first days of independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the mahalla has acquired the relevant official status, enshrined in Article 105 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In the years of independence, the issues of increasing the role of the mahalla institute have been assigned as a priority task that has not only a socio-economic value but also a political, educational and immense spiritual significance.

The Order of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “About the measures on further improvement of the institute of mahallas” in 2017, assigned organizational and legal measures, aimed at enhancing the role of citizens’ self-government bodies in effectively solving of local problems, strengthening the material and technical base of meetings of citizens, as well as, their interaction with state bodies and institutions of civil society.

The Program of Complex Measures was approved in the Order, providing for the implementation of specific measures on further improvement of the activities and support of the bodies of self-government of citizens. In pursuance of this document, regional, district and municipal councils have been established on the coordination of the activities of the bodies of self-government of citizens.

In order to increase their authority and status, to bring the issues, raised by the population in places, to the heads of executive bodies, as well as, to expand their direct involvement in the solution of these issues, the tasks of chairmen of the territorial councils are entrusted on a voluntary basis to the heads of regions, districts and cities. The first deputy chairmen of these councils, at the same time, acts as chairmen of the territorial departments and branches of the Fund “Mahalla”.

According to the first deputy chairman of the Khorezm regional territorial council for coordinating the activities of citizens’ self-government bodies Altiboy Radjabov, on the basis of this Order in all bodies of self-government of citizens, the positions of deputy chairman of the meeting of citizens – a consultant on the issue of youth were assigned on a voluntary basis. Besides, in order to ensure the independence of the meetings of the citizens of mahallas in solving local problems, the redundant staff have been discharged in the system of self-government. In Khorezm region, 107 meetings of city and village citizens of have been transformed into the meetings of mahalla citizens. Today, there are only one meeting of village citizens, it is Sarimoy in Khazarasp district and 497 meetings of mahalla citizens in the region. The necessary conditions are created for their employees. In order to strengthen the material and technical basis of the self-government bodies of citizens, an inventory of the buildings of citizens’ meetings was carried out. On its results, the Program for 2017-2021, consisting of 706 projects, was approved. For their implementation, it is planned to allocate over 93 billion sums, 455 citizens’ meetings will be provided with buildings constructed on the basis of standard projects, in 213 mahallas children’s sports grounds, and in 38 mahallas objects of consumer services were constructed.

In the Year of Dialogue with the People and Human Interests with the Order of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on December 28, 2016 “About the measures on fundamental improvement of the system of working with appeals of individuals and legal entities”, in the mahallas of the region meetings of the leaders of state and public organizations and law-enforcement authorities with the population were held. The solution of the problems that worry people contributes to ensure justice, further strengthening their trust on the state and confidence in the future.

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part and made a speech at an extraordinary session of the Khorezm regional Council of People’s Deputies in October 2017, and proposed to make the Khorezm region a territory completely devoid of crime and to create a “Khorezm experience” in this field. The participants of the session supported the proposal of the head of state.

At present, the chairmen of the citizens’ meetings are working together with the inspectors of the prevention of internal affairs of the region on ensuring the law and order in places. Last year 12 seminars, more than two thousand meetings and conversations were held within the frame of the days of crime prevention. During the dialogue with the population, special attention is paid to the explanation of measures on the prevention of crimes among the youth, early marriages and divorces, the risks of illegal labor migration.

At the moment, mentors are assigned to the persons who committed offenses. Owing to the joint efforts, the number of crimes has significantly decreased compared to the previous year. In 198 mahallas, not a single crime was committed. Last year, with the assistance of the leaders of the public formations “Mahalla Posboni”, 460 crimes have been solved.

The mahalla activists systematically study the social and spiritual environment in families and on this basis work out appropriate recommendations. Last year with their efforts number of families, which were in adverse situations with various reasons, were managed to back to their quiet life and the members of the conciliation commission averted a certain amount of divorces. And there are also much merits of consultants of citizens’ meetings on the issues of religious, spiritual and moral education.

As in all Uzbekistan, in Khorezm region also, the contest “The most exemplary consultant of citizens’ meetings on the issues of religious, spiritual and moral education” is held every year. This year at the regional stage of this contest, Oybibi Ortiqova – the consultant of the mahalla “Qadriyat” in Kushkupir district took the first place and received a referral to the republican stage.

The effectiveness of mahallas’ activities is revealed in the traditional show-contest “The most exemplary body of self-government of citizens”. Last year, the mahalla “Dustlik” from Shavat district was in the first place in this competition.