Chechen Capital Reconstruction Will Take at Least Five Years - 31 March, 2003

It will take at least five years' hard work to reconstruct Grozny. As a Rosbalt correspondent reports, this was announced by Russian Minister for Chechnya Stanislav Ilyasov at a press conference on 28 March, which was part of the federal programme Rebuilding the Chechen Economy and Chechen Society. He said that a rough sum had already been allocated towards the reconstruction of Grozny. A new plan of the Chechen capital has been drawn up by a planning institute. He added, however, that reconstruction work could cost a lot more if people underestimate the current condition of underground engineering services in the city, which would be cheaper to replace than restore.