Georgia, Tbilisi, March 15 / Trend N.Kirtskhalia /
Local residents staged a protest in front of the offices of the Turkish company Acar Energy 2007 in the village of Maradidi (Adjara) demanding for compensation.
The residents of three villages: Simoneti, Maradidi and Ontopo, had to give up 10 acres of land for the construction of three hydroelectric power plants.
Three hectares of disputed land in the coastal zone are currently under construction in Ontopo.
Villagers along with representatives of non-governmental organisations met with the administration of the company.
According to them, the Turkish side is paying compensation only to those families whose land was purchased via the Ministry of Economy of Georgia.
In this regard, a special commission started to work under the leadership of the former head of the Khelvachauri district Levan Lortkipanidze. According to one of the members of the commission, the government is holding negotiations with the company on the compensation issue.
Acar Energy 2007 should pay 17 lari ($1= 1.66 lari) per square metre of land, but no family has yet received the money with 41 expecting compensation.