Оn March 15 Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan's Malatia-Sebastia districts will decide whether to expel farmer Onik Vardanian from Dalma Gardens or not.
According to the decisions of the Armenian Government, 256 hectares of the general 530 hectares of Dalma Gardens were considered to be of agricultural significance, and they were given to land-users. Ten-year tenancy agreements were signed with the municipality of Yerevan in this respect. It was decided to use the rest of the territory on the implementation of city building major projects.
Onik Vardanian has cultivated the land for ten years and hopes it will be given to him. The other Dalma land-users also hope to become land-owners one day.
"If the government decides to give the land to someone, I think Onik Vardanian is the best candidate as he has sweated his guts out on this land for ten years," says ecologist Ruzanna Ghazaryan, one of Dalma land owners.
She says the court decision will become a precedent for the other land-users. "National Examination Bureau" has submitted to the court a document stating that the price of Dalma gardens and vineyards has not been fixed "because of the lack of an adequate technique."
"The document implies that trees and bushes in Armenia cannot have value unless a technique has been worked out to determine their value. I think it will be realized after all trees and bushes are felled and buildings erected instead," said the ecologist.
When the government signed a contract with land-users it was decided that if the lands were taken back for state needs, land-users would be adequately compensated either with money or new lands. To date, the government failed to keep its promise. There was neither a fair compensation, nor a solution to the lands issue," added Mrs. Vardanyan.