Residents forced to dismantle satellite dishes in Lida
Authorities in the city of Lida, Grodna region, have launched a campaign against what they describe as “illegal installment of satellite dishes”.
Officials of the communal service departments are visiting dish owners to issue warnings, while the local newspapers publish a resolution of the local authorities. People are facing fines of Br 62,000 to Br 465,000 ($30-$200).
The regulation officially targets those who installed their dishes without permission. But it turns out that all of the dish owners have installed them “illegally”, because a legal procedure to regulate the installment of satellite receivers does not exist.
The city residents tell our radio that they have been visited and warned by officials. But who wants to remove his expensive antenna just like that? People want the dishes to be legalized and left to remain where they are. But here is what people are faced with:
Resident: “I went to our local architecture department. They told me that they simply did not understand what I was talking about. The point is that there is no legal document which regulates procedures to issue permits for the installment of satellite dishes. They say it is currently being developed.
But what should I do if I had installed one dish back in 1999 before the Regulations on the Usage of Residential Premises became effective and I put another dish in 2003? I would go to the architects back then, but they would tell me they did not know anything. They advised then to put my dish on the roof.
When I came to the communal services office, they did not allow me to put it on the roof and said I should fix it on the balcony. Now it turns out that I installed my dish on the balcony “without permission”. But it is not true. I did ask for permission! It is not my fault that regulatory documents were not in place yet.”
People don’t understand why the dishes that nobody cared about before have become a problem now. What are the authorities thinking about when they try to leave the city without favorite channels? But Viktar Vajtulievic, the acting director of the city’s communal services, says this is being done for the sake of residents.
Viktar Vajtulievic: “Imagine what happens if 100 apartments will have 100 antennas installed. What will the façade of a house look like? What if a dish falls down and kills someone? In fact, it is prohibited to fix dishes, because of the way they are installed. They simply make holes in the walls! Is it normal? We want to ensure public safety. Do I have a dish? No, I don’t. Social package is enough for me. I watch the Belarusian television, news. I have no time for the rest.”
The situation in the city’s architecture department is even more surprising. People are expected to approach the department in order to install a dish legally. But Viktar Rudoj, the department’s deputy chief, admits that nobody knows the procedure.
Viktar Rudoj: “Frankly speaking, I have not seen or read those documents. A new resolution is being drafted. In principle, the installment of dishes should be agreed upon with us.
But things should be cleared up. All these documents should put into some order. The permit procedures should be clearly spelled out. As of now, I am not able to explain to you anything. Regarding the old antennas…God knows. Sorry, I cannot say much about it.”
Viktar Vajtulievic confirms there is no single “legal” dish in the city. He is the one who signed a resolution, urging to dismantle satellite antennas in Lida. Despite all this, officials disseminated through the local newspapers a call to residents, urging them to remove their dishes. In respond, residents express justified anger.
A city resident: “The communal service allegedly showed a draft city hall resolution to the architects. It means the resolution has not been officially passed. So how can it be applied to the dishes that were installed earlier when it is yet to be passed?”
Lawyers say that if there is no legal regulation, there is no responsibility for “installment without permission”. A relevant regulation has been passed in Minsk, but it covers the capital city only. Lida residents cannot be punished for something that does not exist.
A Lida resident: “How can they scare us with fines when time limitations have already passed? Under the new Administrative Code, time limitation is three years.”
Huge fines are likely empty threats so far. But the situation requires explanation. In Lida, there are at least two versions why officials have abruptly become tough about satellite dishes.
A Lida resident: “There are rumors that the whole fuzz is because of two new “bad” television channels are soon going to be launched and picked by satellites. To prevent people from watching them, officials are “hunting” the dishes. The version that I have heard of is this is nothing but the lobbying by cable television operators.”
At the moment, some of the city residents have already removed their dishes. The rest are waiting to see how the situation will unfold further.
Photo by diary.ru
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