On August 19, during a meeting in Shymkent between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the city's mayor, Gabit Syzdykbekov, it was announced that five properties had been returned to state ownership. Among them, the "Fantasy" cultural and entertainment complex and one of the city's outpatient clinic buildings attracted particular public attention. This decision was an important step not only from a social perspective but also in the context of land relations, which largely determine the city's development dynamics.

The history of these properties is not new. In the 1990s and 2000s, when many buildings and land plots were transferred to private hands, it was not always possible to maintain a balance between public and commercial interests. As a result, a significant portion of the city's land ended up in the hands of private owners, who, unfortunately, did not always use it rationally. "Fantasy," once a popular recreation area for city residents, stood idle for many years and provided no benefit to the public. The clinic, on the other hand, is desperately needed by city residents, but its use has also been limited. Returning these properties to state ownership effectively means reclaiming the land on which they are located and the opportunity to use it for the benefit of society.

Land relations in large cities are always a strategic issue. Every hectare of land within the city limits is incredibly valuable. In Shymkent, where the population is growing rapidly and infrastructure pressures are increasing year after year, rational land use is becoming a key priority. In this sense, the decision to return the Fantasia complex and the clinic to state control demonstrates that the Akimat and central government are committed to ensuring that city land is used for the benefit of residents and not left as an object of speculation or inaction.

It's important to emphasize that such steps cannot be viewed solely as the return of individual buildings. First and foremost, they involve a reconsideration of land rights. When a property is transferred to private ownership, the land on which it is located goes with it. If the land's use is not in the public interest, the state has every right to reclaim it. This isn't a punishment for businesses, but rather a mechanism for restoring a fair balance. After all, land in the city is a limited resource, and it must be used for the benefit of residents.

Experience from previous years confirms that such measures produce tangible results. In 2022 and 2023, Shymkent already saw the return of land and facilities that were being used improperly or not at all. For example, some areas designated for the construction of schools or kindergartens were idle and were eventually returned to state ownership. Today, new educational institutions are being built on these sites, responding to the challenge of the times – the growing number of school-age children and the need for accessible education. A similar situation has developed with medical facilities: the return of the land has enabled the construction of additional hospital and clinic buildings.

Thus, the current decision to return Fantasia and the clinic can be seen as a continuation of the state's systematic work in land management. It demonstrates that the priority is not the commercial gain of individuals, but the strategic development of the city, meeting social needs, and preserving cultural heritage. In the case of Fantasia, this is not just a building, but an opportunity to create a modern cultural and entertainment center where children and young people can spend time and where city events and projects can be organized. And in the case of the clinic, the return of the facility paves the way for the expansion of the healthcare system and its increased accessibility for the population.

Of course, such steps are not without controversy. Some experts note that state intervention in property relations could be perceived as a restriction of market freedom. However, it's important to understand that this doesn't apply to just any land or any property, but specifically to those that have social significance and are located in key areas of the city. Here, intervention is justified, as urban land should serve society.

Moreover, this process cannot be described as abrupt or one-sided. The return of the properties is taking place within the legal framework and is accompanied by dialogue with the owners. The primary goal is not punishment or confiscation, but the restoration of rational land use. The state, as the owner of these plots, can include them in Shymkent's strategic development plans, providing for the construction of social facilities, infrastructure modernization, or the creation of recreational areas.

In the long term, such decisions will shape a new approach to land relations. The city will no longer be held hostage to the haphazard privatization processes of the past, when many properties and territories fell into private hands without a clear understanding of their intended use. Today, transparency, rationality, and social responsibility are becoming priorities.

The return of Fantasia and the clinic to state ownership can safely be called a symbolic event. It demonstrates that a new philosophy of treating land and the facilities on it is emerging in Shymkent: land is not a commodity to be resold or left idle, but a resource that should serve society. This approach is precisely what makes it possible to build a modern metropolis, where every plot of land is used for its intended purpose, and every facility benefits residents.