President Shavkat Mirziyoyev criticized the poor situation in the rest of the country in terms of heat, electricity and gas supply at an ongoing government meeting today, his spokesman Sherzod Asadov said.

The head of state stressed that the mayors of Zangiata, Tashkent, Bulakbashi, Khodjaabad, Uchkurgan, Kasan, Karmana, Kamashi, Shafirkan, Khodjeyli, Denau, Sharaf-Rashidov, Pastdargom, Fergana, Pakhtabad, Khazarasp district and the cities of Samarkand, Namangan, Fergana, Gulistan, Chirchik, "not feeling responsible, did not draw any conclusions from the cold days a month ago."

Mayor of Tashkent province Zoyir Mirzaev was given a stern warning. Mayor of Chirchik Davron Khidoyatov was reprimanded.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed that today the biggest task of leaders at all levels is to ensure the uninterrupted operation of electric and gas networks, but "officials in the relevant areas cannot cope with this."

Earlier, Deputy Minister of Energy Sherzod Khodjaev was sacked.

Ulugbek Mustafoev, chairman of the Provincial Electric Networks company, Bekhzot Normatov, head of Uztransgaz, and Mekhriddin Abdullayev, head of Uzbekneftegaz, were downgraded to the acting chairs position, giving them three-month trial period.

At the meeting, Mirziyoyev said noted that the situation would not be so dire if some financial issues of industry enterprises had been resolved in a timely manner, if part of their income was invested and sent to upgrade the network.

The head of state criticized officials for negligence in this matter.

The President announced "a completely different system" - now strategic enterprises will be transferred to the Agency for Strategic Reforms (ASR).

As we reported earlier, the mayor of Tashkent Jahongir Artykhodzhaev, Deputy Minister of Energy Sherzod Khodjaev and the head of Thermal Power Plants Farhod Abdurakhmanov were fired from their posts, while Bakhtiyor Rakhmonov became acting Tashkent mayor.