According to available information, last year the villages of Cholok-Kayin and Konorchok of the Ala-Bugin rural district, as well as the village of Zhany-Tilek of the Kara-Burgon rural district, were included in the list of high-altitude settlements. However, despite this, the residents of these villages claim that when calculating pensions, benefits, and salaries, the coefficients provided for high-altitude areas are not applied to them.
A resident of the city of Naryn, Gulya Karbosova, shared that she has lived in a high-altitude area for over 22 years and lost her ability to work at the age of 50. “I was born in the village of Konorchok, grew up and studied there. I am 49 years old, a mother of three children. I have a land share in the village of Konorchok. I have been living in Naryn for 22 years. Now I am no longer able to work — by the age of 50, I am registered with heart and kidney diseases, high blood pressure, and anemia. I have 11 years of work experience, but I still need 4 more years to retire. I can no longer work. When I found out that Konorchok and Cholok-Kayin were included in the list of high-altitude villages, I was happy, thinking that I could retire based on my land share. But, unfortunately, it didn’t work out. At the Naryn territorial office of the Social Fund, I was told: ‘The list has not yet arrived; the issue is being considered at a higher level.’ So I ended up with nothing. If the villages are included in the list, but the benefits do not work, who benefits from this?” she says.
A resident of the village of Kosh-Dobo, Aysuluu Zhanylyshova, reported that she has lived her whole life in a high-altitude area, but does not receive any benefits. “I was born in the village of Cholok-Kayin, I have five children, and I have not officially worked anywhere. But I have been living in the high-altitude village of Kosh-Dobo for 30 years. Despite this, I cannot retire because my birthplace was not previously classified as high-altitude. Although I lived in Cholok-Kayin for about 20 years, I have lived in the harsh climatic conditions of the highlands for 30 years and will continue to live here. The problem is that my land plot is registered in Cholok-Kayin. This situation is not just mine — many women cannot apply for a pension. Last year, Cholok-Kayin was included in the list of high-altitude villages, but in practice, this does not benefit ordinary people at all. We were happy that we could finally retire, but there is still no clarity. Who will solve our problem?” she says.
The Ak-Talinsky district state administration explained that changes to the relevant resolution have not yet been made, and the necessary orders have not yet arrived. “According to the Cabinet of Ministers’ resolution dated October 23, 2025, No. 692 ‘On the approval of the list of settlements located in high-altitude zones,’ the villages of Zhany-Tilek, Konorchok, and Cholok-Kayin are included in the list in the Ak-Talinsky district. Pension benefits are regulated by the government resolution dated May 3, 2013, No. 235, which approved the list of settlements entitled to preferential pension provision. Currently, no changes have been made to resolution No. 235. Orders from the Ministry of Labor, Social Security, and Migration regarding wages and benefits have also not been received,” the akimat reported.
Additionally, residents of the villages of Ak-Kiya, Ak-Tal, Togolok Moldо, Zhany-Talap, Ügüt, and Baygönchök are also requesting that their settlements be included in the list of high-altitude areas. According to them, the Ak-Talinsky district is generally considered high-altitude, but for unclear reasons, some villages were not included in this list, which they consider unfair.
