ZAGREB, March 13 (Hina) - Of a total of 18,960 temporarily occupied housing facilities in formerly war-affected areas of Croatia which the defence ministry took over at the beginning of its term, 6,000 still have to be returned to
their owners, and 24,000 people currently using that property should be taken care of, said officials of the government's Office for Refugees and Displaced Persons at a session of the parliament's committee on human and minority rights.
ZAGREB, March 13 (Hina) - Of a total of 18,960 temporarily occupied
housing facilities in formerly war-affected areas of Croatia which
the defence ministry took over at the beginning of its term, 6,000
still have to be returned to their owners, and 24,000 people
currently using that property should be taken care of, said
officials of the government's Office for Refugees and Displaced
Persons at a session of the parliament's committee on human and
minority rights. #L#
Assistant Reconstruction Minister Lovre Pejkovic said that the
state would soon begin to pay the owners of temporarily occupied
property monthly compensation of seven kuna per square metre.
So far, around 3,800 of the total of 6,000 owners have claimed back
their property.
Seven hundred million kuna will be earmarked from the government
budget for the restitution of property and accommodation of 4,700
people temporarily occupying other people's homes, said Pejkovic.
Some 400 families who have illegally occupied other people's homes
and have no alternative accommodation could be the biggest problem,
he said.
The president of the Serb People's Party, MP Milan Djukic, said it
was not true that only 6,000 homes should be returned.
"What about all other Serbs who fled Croatia," asked Djukic,
accusing the government of "intentionally postponing the
restitution of property and tenancy rights".
"If out of 40 houses in a village none are returned (to their
owners), this means that laws are not being implemented. This
completes the policy of those who knew what they were doing because
most destroyed houses are exclusively Serb-owned," said Djukic and
walked out of the committee session in protest.
(hina) lml sb