The other day, the governor of the Karaganda region, Yermaganbet Bulekpaev, received a reprimand from the President for inadequate oversight of preparations for the heating season. Meanwhile, the media decided to analyse what contribution Bulekpaev has made to the region's development during his service, and what local residents think of him.
As journalists from ZTB News noted, Bulekpaev has been leading the Karaganda region for two years already, yet little is known about his activities in public service. He began his career as an economist at the Pavlodar branch of Kazkommertsbank. Later, he became director of the representative office of the information and commercial centre Business-inform.
Yermaganbet Bulekpaev moved into public service in 1998. He held various positions in the Ministry of Industry and Trade. In 2020, he took up the post of mayor of Karaganda, and in December 2022, he became head of the region. As the media note, Bulekpaev promised at the time that he intended to first and foremost address the region's issues of ecology, improvement, transit and transport potential, and engineering infrastructure.
According to journalists, Yermaganbet Bulekpaev tries to be as open as possible on social media. On his official Facebook and Instagram pages, he regularly writes about events and projects in the region. Every month, the governor answers questions from Karaganda residents live, and on Tuesdays, the akimat's page hosts live broadcasts of staff meetings on issues of regional development.
The media note that after the methane explosion at the Kostenko mine, which resulted in 46 people dead and a further 28 injured, Yermaganbet Bulekpaev stated that he could not have prevented what happened, as responsibility for what occurs in the mines lies with the management of ArcelorMittal Temirtau JSC and the coal department. However, at the time, the governor promised to take all measures to prevent such situations in the future.
Journalists also spoke with local residents, who believe the region is gradually being transformed. Among those satisfied with the governor's work were drivers, grateful for the road repairs in the region. It is noted that civilisation, in the form of asphalted roads, has even reached private residential areas.
There were also complaints and requests. The main ones include gas supply, construction of playgrounds, lighting and landscaping, and water supply. In general, the region has accumulated many problems that Bulekpaev inherited from his predecessors, the media note. And solving them will take time.
Journalists also reviewed the governor's reports on work at thermal power plants. According to their information, in May, main equipment was delivered to the Shakhtinsk TPP, and they are currently repairing the heating networks there. The report on preparations for the new heating season in Temirtau mentions the repair of three boilers and two turbines.
One can only hope that the next heating season in the Karaganda region will pass successfully and without consequences for local residents.
Let us recall that on 13 October, residents of Sarani began to complain en masse about the cold in their apartments. On 15 October, a government meeting considered the issue of heating problems in the city of Sarani. Another two days later, residential buildings and social facilities in the city were fully connected to the heat supply systems.
As a result of the failure at the start of the heating season, on 28 October a number of officials received strict reprimands from the governor of the region, Yermaganbet Bulekpaev. The following day, the mayor of Sarani, Yerkin Baulykov, was dismissed from his post. And on 1 November, Bulekpaev himself received a reprimand from Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for inadequate oversight of preparations for the heating season.