News

25 August 2026

More than 20 people from the municipality of Kazanlak met today with Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva and her team as part of a local reception held in the town. Residents of Kazanlak and surrounding villages raised specific issues relating to water supply, the quality of public services, the environment, employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and the implementation of the building renovation programme.

“Some of the issues raised are very worrying,” Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva told reporters.

Among the main issues raised were the frequent disruptions to the water and sewerage network in Kazanlak and the villages within the municipality. The mayors of several villages raised the issue of delays in repairing the faults, which in some cases take months to resolve.

“There are very frequent breakdowns in small towns and villages which are not dealt with in a timely manner, and it takes months to fix the faults. This causes enormous difficulties for residents,” said Delcheva.

According to her, in a number of villages the old pipes are not being replaced, and problematic sections are often bypassed, which does not provide a lasting solution to the water supply problem. The Ombudsman stated that an investigation would be carried out into the causes of these problems and the options for resolving them.

A serious complaint was also received from residents of the village of Enina regarding an unpleasant odour from a nearby poultry farm. According to the residents, some of the houses are located about 30 metres from the site.

“The people who live there are literally living in hell. The problem could be solved if the owner started cleaning regularly,” commented Delcheva.

Among the issues raised was the employment of people with disabilities. Some of them told the Ombudsman that, despite their decisions from the Medical Expert Commission (TELK), they feel able to work, want to work and wish to receive a decent wage.

“They want to work with dignity and earn their wages, but they are clearly unable to do so. The problem is not confined to Kazanlak, but affects the whole country,” noted the Ombudsman.

Delcheva pointed out that an employment programme had recently been launched, aimed at hiring people with disabilities on employment contracts. She stated that she would provide information on opportunities to join the programme both to citizens who sought assistance at the local reception room and to others affected by the problem.

“I hope they will be able to find work, because it is difficult to make ends meet on a disability pension alone,” she added.

Another serious issue concerned the implementation of the building renovation programme. Residents reported poor quality of the work carried out in one of the blocks in Kazanlak, including problems with the roof, which they claimed was not fit to withstand the coming winter.

Later, Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva met with Galina Stoyanova, Mayor of Kazanlak Municipality, with whom she discussed the issues raised by members of the public at the local reception meeting and the possible solutions to them.

Galina Stoyanova also raised the question of the need to modernise the municipality’s ageing water and sewerage infrastructure and the associated frequent breakdowns and difficulties faced by the local population. The need of regulation of pensioners’ clubs was also discussed, with a view to establishing a clearer statutory framework for their operation.

The Ombudsman emphasised that all reports and queries raised by both citizens and local authorities would be forwarded to the relevant institutions, and that she would insist on specific responses and action being taken on them, so that solutions could be found and people could be helped.