Milanovic: Government acted humanely after the floods, setting a precedent by rebuilding private property

The government on Thursday forwarded to parliament its opinion on a report by the Human Rights Ombudswoman on housing reconstruction in the Sava River region at Zupanja, hit by disastrous floods last spring, pointing to omissions in the report and providing additional explanations.

Social Policy and Youth Minister Milanka Opacic said that there was no reason for the objection that the flood victims were accommodated in container homes.

Container homes cannot replace a proper home, but they are fully equipped, Opacic said, noting that some of the flood victims opted for container homes after the government offered families with children accommodation in a hostel in Borovo Naselje, which they refused because they wanted to stay in their place of residence and oversee the reconstruction process.

As for problems with humanitarian aid, the government is not responsible for aid delivered by the Red Cross, Opacic said.

She said that she understood that citizens whose homes had not been renovated yet were dissatisfied, but noted that the government could not rebuild houses without appropriate documentation or houses whose tenants were not their owners or did not have permanent residence in the area.

So far 1,060 houses have been rebuilt and 1,947 decisions on housing reconstruction have been issued. All houses are expected to be rebuilt by the summer.

Opacic recalled that all local schools and health clinics had been rebuilt before the start of the school year, adding that the HEP power supplier had written off flood victims' electricity debts.

She said that all ministries had done their best to help the flood victims.

Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said that the government acted humanely after the floods, setting a precedent by rebuilding private property.

(Hina) rml

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