"The Seismology Institute is like an abandoned child," a deputy addressed the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

"When parents fail to raise their children, and those children become neglected, living in unsanitary conditions, the guardianship authorities take the children away, and the parents may lose their parental rights.

Why did I start with this question? The Institute of Seismology is your child, which is under the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and it is currently deprived of parental care from the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

I visited most of the seismic stations - they are in terrible condition, like scrap metal. At some seismic stations, for instance, Botanic Garden, there is no water. Seismologists are transporting water in canisters in the center of Almaty. There is no way to provide for them. Some seismic stations have lost their land, as their plots are being taken away. The only seismic station that meets the requirements is Medeu," - stated deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek.

He added that seismologists are considered employees of civil defense authorities, even though they are scientists, and the issue of transferring the Institute of Seismology to the Ministry of Education and Science has been previously discussed.

"Are you ready to transfer the Institute of Seismology if you cannot take care of it? It is in a state of neglect, and seismologists are not receiving salaries. Should this institute be transferred to the Ministry of Education and Science?" - asked the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the deputy.

The head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Chingis Arinov, stated that many other departments are also "underappreciated" - the minister reported that during his 12 months in office, they have not managed to restore order everywhere.

"For a long time, we were discussing with the Ministry of Education and Science who should actually be in charge of it (the Institute of Seismology - ed.). There was a clear government decision that it should remain with the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Following the directive from the head of state, funds have been allocated, and the design and survey work is currently underway, and this summer, we hope that repair work will begin on the main building.

As for the seismic stations, we have about 150 of them, and the situation there is indeed dire. One of the options we are currently considering is the purchase of capsule homes," - responded the minister.

The head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations added that for the first time this year, the Institute of Seismology received bonuses and grants and is "turning a profit," as before his appointment as minister, the institute "was in the red," resulting in unpaid salaries.

It is worth noting that a year ago, the director of the national scientific center for seismic observations and research reported a shortage of seismic stations in Kazakhstan.

"The majority, nearly 50 seismic stations, are located in the territory of Almaty, Almaty region, and partially in the territories of Zhetysu and Zhambyl regions. It is too early to say whether the number of seismic stations is sufficient because we are lacking them," - he stated.

Additionally, yesterday, February 4, deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek also addressed issues in another area. He stated that billions allocated for tree planting are being embezzled in Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Ecology suggested that the deputy prepare a written response regarding the statistics he provided, as well as the reasons why criminal cases have not been initiated.