Governors to Be Held Personally Accountable for 2,000 Mahallas

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced the launch of a new management system for the country's 2,000 most problematic mahallas under the "Current 40 Days" programme. The announcement was made on 21 July during a videoconference meeting on Uzbekistan's socio-economic performance in the first half of the year.

Under the new system, governors will bear personal responsibility for ensuring the timely resolution of issues related to electricity and gas supply, road conditions and access to drinking water.

As part of the programme, tripartite agreements between governors, mahalla chairpersons and employment service units have been revised.

The president instructed employment service staff to work directly in mahallas on a regular basis, provide vocational training for residents in need, assist them in finding jobs and take measures to increase household incomes.

Separate instructions were also issued to officials responsible for the mahalla system. They were told to organize improvements to streets and residential buildings, plant trees and saplings, and ensure the proper maintenance of irrigation ditches in all 8,992 mahallas across the country.

During the meeting, the president also sharply criticized the work of banks in mahallas. His remarks were directed at the heads of regional offices of the Central Bank and branches of state-owned banks.

According to Mirziyoyev, this year will serve as a practical assessment period for the heads of regional and district banks, as well as representatives of the Mahalla Association.

The president said officials who achieve tangible results over the next three months will retain their positions, while those who fail to deliver noticeable improvements will be dismissed.

Oversight of the programme has been assigned to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Accounts Chamber, which will assess implementation and monitor changes in each mahalla.

The meeting also reviewed issues related to sanitation in populated areas, urban maintenance standards and the upkeep of private homes.

The president stressed the need to extend the management company model beyond apartment buildings to the individual housing sector.