By a closed decision of the Tashkent khokim, hotels and commercial complexes are being built on the sites of mahalla centers

A closed decision and the concealment of the document

By a closed decision of the khokim of the city of Tashkent dated 29 November 2024, No. 877-14-0-Q/24, 131 facilities in the capital's districts were transferred to entrepreneurs on an experimental basis for the creation of standard mahalla centers under public-private partnership terms. In the document, which the outlet Sarpa.media reviewed, the main list contains 112 facilities, and Annex 2 lists 19 more. The annex amends facilities previously approved by the khokim's decision of 1 July 2024, No. 417-14-0-Q/24. On these sites, construction was planned of premises for the 'mahalla seven', libraries, Jadid corners and free parking lots. However, a check via the QR code revealed that, under the pretext of protecting personal data, the document had been unjustifiably hidden from the public under the 'for official use' classification. Recently, public attention has been drawn to scandals surrounding construction in the 'Mutaxassislar Uylari', 'Chulpon', 'Kadrdon' and 'Akkurgan' mahallas, which arose precisely because of this closed decision.

What is actually being built on the sites of mahalla centers

As part of its investigation, the outlet examined 50 of the 131 facilities using conclusions of the State Environmental Expertise Center; the conclusions for seven companies (Mercury Energy, Basic Idea, East Dream Engineering, Universal Montaj Group, Nani Studio, Welcome to Bukhara, Orient Star) directly cite the number of the khokim's decision. Another 9 facilities were checked through the public-private partnership project registry of the Ministry of Economy and Finance: the cost of each mahalla center ranges from 8 billion to 12.7 billion soums. The registry links companies to mahallas: 'Kaykovus Invest' — 'Kaykovus', 'Ayino' — 'Shirin', 'Yosh Nihol Tekstil' — 'Birdamlik', Prosperity Tashkent — 'Chakar', Omina Fayz Servis — 'Feruza', Max Win Service — 'Ijodkor', Gold Zillion Pharm — 'Fazogir', Blessed Rent — 'Markhamat', 'Universal Montaj Group' — 'Kumarik'.

The mahalla — on the first floor or in the basement

According to the outlet, in most cases the mahalla committee occupies only a small part of the building's first floor or basement, while the remaining space is allocated to commercial facilities. Almost all projects provide premises for the mahalla, but in the project of the developer LLC 'INSAN 01' the mahalla committee is not mentioned at all — only shops, classrooms and offices are listed. A number of mahallas have large commercial projects planned: in 'Guzarboshi' — a 7-story residential building with 80 apartments; in 'Birdamlik' — a diagnostic clinic with a 56-bed inpatient unit; in 'Turon' — a sports and wellness complex with a swimming pool and a beauty salon; in 'Beshagach' — a 6-story hotel combined with the mahalla office; in 'Nihol' — a 3-story building with a rooftop restaurant. According to Google Earth imagery and expert conclusions, on at least six sites the new complexes are being built on the sites of operating parking lots, and in more than 14 mahallas the old mahalla committee buildings are being demolished.

Environmental violations and related companies

The outlet revealed violations of environmental legislation: in the 'Nurliyul', 'Abdulla Avloniy' and 'Astrobod' mahallas, construction began without the mandatory conclusion of the State Environmental Expertise, and in some cases conclusions were backdated after construction was completed. On the sites of the 'Kuyosh' facility and Mercury Energy, long-standing trees were cut down without authorization before work began, while in documents submitted to the Ecology Committee the developers stated that there were no trees on the plots. The companies that received the most plots turned out to be interconnected: Haike Zhineng, Max Win Service and Best-Tall-House each received two facilities; a number of companies share the same founders, directors and accountants; and some LLCs have already gone bankrupt or been liquidated. According to the outlet, 99% of the shares in Delta Global Dynamics belong to Daniyar Kamilov, the son of former Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.

Reaction and demands

Economist Otabek Bakirov and lawyers argue that, under the pretext of building mahalla centers, valuable land plots in the capital are being sold off through closed decisions, and they demand a full inventory of such deals and the return of the land to the state reserve. Residents of the Akkurgan mahalla have already gone to court and secured the invalidation of the khokim's decision on the construction of a 5-story building. The Anti-Corruption Agency noted that khokimiyats are unjustifiably hiding hundreds of documents under the 'secret' status in the E-qaror system. The Tashkent city khokimiyat did not respond to the outlet's official request. Editorial note: even from the data presented, a discrepancy is visible between the declared purpose of the facilities (mahalla centers with libraries and parking) and the actual projects (hotels, residential buildings, commercial premises); however, the full picture for all 131 facilities is not yet known — only 59 of them have been checked.

Why this matters

The decision affects residents of dozens of Tashkent mahallas who, instead of the promised libraries, parking lots and centers, receive commercial development, and in some cases lose parking spaces and greenery. The practical consequences are already visible: a court, on the residents' lawsuit, has declared one of the decisions invalid, and the Anti-Corruption Agency is recording the mass concealment of documents by khokimiyats in the E-qaror system, which directly affects the public's ability to challenge such construction.