DUSHANBE, January 3, Asia-Plus — The government has provided the first 6 million somonis for rehabilitation of a head building of Tajik Medical University that was completely destroyed by a fire on December 26, 2007, Mahmoud Sarayev, a chief specialist with the analytical-information department of President’s Executive Office, said.
Ismatullo Hakimov, an official with the Ministry of Finance (MoF), told Asia-Plus that 6 million somonis had been provided at the expense of saved funds of the 2007 national budget.
According to him, a bank account under the number of 20204972712010100002 has been opened at main directorate of the MoF central treasury for transferring funds for rehabilitation of the university’s building.
He further added that Tajik National University and the Institute of Gastroenterology of the Academy of Science had to date remitted 50,000 somonis and 7,300 somonis to this bank account respectively.
We will recall that a December 26 fire destroyed a head building of Tajik Medical University, situated in the center of Dushanbe, completely; however, the University’s library and archives were salvaged.
According to unofficial sources, electrical malfunction my have caused the fire, which was first reports about 1:33 p.m. The fire probably broke out on the third floor and then spread rapidly through the building. All three floors of the building were completely enveloped in flames and the building that was constructed in 1939 practically burned down. No injured was reported.
A part of the building housed the university’s library and archives. Fortunately, they managed to salvage the library and archives.
The fire was focus of a December 27 government meeting, presided over by President Emomali Rahmon. The president demanded at the meeting that heads of relevant structures should organize thorough construction examination of framework of the damaged building and enlist the services of the best construction companies to restore the building by August 2008. .
