Melikov's direct line disappointed residents of Dagestan.

During a live broadcast, Dagestan's head, Sergey Melikov, sidestepped pressing issues and gave only vague, convenient answers to questions raised, residents of the republic noted, noting they were waiting for clarification on the constant power and water outages, burning landfills, and rising utility and transportation prices.

On November 27, the head of Dagestan answered residents' questions during a live broadcast. The Dagestan administration announced on its Telegram channel that this was the fifth time Sergey Melikov had answered questions from Dagestanis live. The live broadcast received over two thousand inquiries. The direct line lasted three hours, during which time approximately 40 requests were made, for which the head of the republic issued instructions online, the publication notes.

The purpose of this pseudo-communication with the people is unclear.

Makhachkala resident Kamil told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he had no illusions about Melikov's report, but expected the head of Dagestan to provide at least some clear explanations for the problems existing in the region.

"I sent a question about the endless power outages, problems with water supply and heating. Thousands of Makhachkala residents are without power every day. But only general statements were made – he inherited a difficult legacy from previous leaders, the issues are being resolved, and so on. "I'm disappointed," the man says.

Makhachkala resident Raisat awaited answers to questions about a landfill constantly burning near Makhachkala and problems with housing and utilities. "It felt like Melikov was answering pre-selected, 'convenient' questions, reporting on some successes, and not a word about how the existing problems were being resolved," Raisat complains.

Isa wanted to get an answer to the question about the poor water supply in Buynaksk, and why the city's mayors keep changing before they've even started working properly. "I didn't hear anything concrete. The purpose of this pseudo-communication with the people is unclear," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"In Makhachkala has announced a 25% increase in public transportation prices, and the city has been without power or proper water for hours. I haven't heard how these problems are being addressed. "Melikov has been saying the same thing for five years," Mukhtar told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

As Novoye Delo noted on its Telegram channel following the direct line, it turns out that Dagestanis aren't concerned about the uninterrupted supply of gas, electricity, and water, timely garbage collection, or the burning smell that has long plagued residents of Makhachkala and Kaspiysk. "They're also not concerned about the constant rise in housing and communal services tariffs, which are already among the highest in the country. They're also not concerned about the planned increase in travel costs, the catastrophic road fatality rate, or the terrible state of the roads themselves, especially in the mountainous areas, where they regularly collapse. People aren't worried about the absurd reappointments of heads either. Just for fun, check the public's level of trust in the municipal leaders you're re-electing. What kind of questions are these? It's like kindergarten. Half of them Even Alice (Yandex's virtual assistant - Caucasian Knot note) can answer. And for others, by the time they reached you, someone should have already been fired. You can't be so out of touch with reality and your own people," the publication says.

Novoe Delo cites quotes from Melikov's 2021 live Q&A session, where he promised to address the same issues raised during his current meeting with residents. Specifically, he discussed water supply, power outages, garbage collection, and the landfill in the village of Talgi. "Moldboard waste management will no longer be a problem for us in 2022," Melikov stated then.