No delivery of aid to well-heeled people
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Kasım 24, 2008 00:00
ANKARA - Ankara Municipality, in response to claims it is distributing aid to wealthy people as local elections beckon, said coal and food aid is only delivered to poor citizens whose income is under a minimum subsistence level calculated by Türk-İş.
"Aid is delivered to those with a low income who are really in need, it is not delivered to those who have a car, a flat and use natural gas, as some media corporations have written," the municipality, run by the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, said in a written statement.
The statement said many people not really in need also apply for aid, but a calculation as to whether the income of a family is under a minimum subsistence level or not is made. "Poverty is a precondition to aid. Citizens can apply for aid after submitting a poverty certificate and a declaration of family, which is made by the head of a neighborhood," the statement said.
Applicants are visited two or three times during a year to check whether they are really in need, the statement said. Confirming coal distribution was occurring in the Çankaya district, the municipality said they only distribute coal to families, most of whom are caretakers. "These housekeeper’s flats are cottages, some of which are in the parking lots of apartments. They use stoves for heating."
According to municipal statistics, over 492,500 people from more than 154,000 homes have benefited from aid this year. Only 66,811 of these families were given coal. "Those who have natural a gas system in their house, but who are still poor, only get food aid," the statement said.
The statement said many people not really in need also apply for aid, but a calculation as to whether the income of a family is under a minimum subsistence level or not is made. "Poverty is a precondition to aid. Citizens can apply for aid after submitting a poverty certificate and a declaration of family, which is made by the head of a neighborhood," the statement said.
Applicants are visited two or three times during a year to check whether they are really in need, the statement said. Confirming coal distribution was occurring in the Çankaya district, the municipality said they only distribute coal to families, most of whom are caretakers. "These housekeeper’s flats are cottages, some of which are in the parking lots of apartments. They use stoves for heating."
According to municipal statistics, over 492,500 people from more than 154,000 homes have benefited from aid this year. Only 66,811 of these families were given coal. "Those who have natural a gas system in their house, but who are still poor, only get food aid," the statement said.