3,540 DISPLACED PEOPLE RETURN TO VUKOVAR

VUKOVAR, July 23 (Hina) - The national committee for confidence building on Friday held a working session in Vukovar. The meeting, chaired by the committee's head Vesna Skare-Ozbolt, tackled housing problems, reconstruction and return to the Croatian Danube River Area. The entire process of returning life back to normal in the area was assessed as very good despite problems pointed out by Ante Drmić and Nada Arbanas, heads of regional offices for displaced people and refugees in Vinkovci and Osijek respectively. To date, 38 percent of displaced people and refugees have returned to Vukovar-Sirmium County, while 55 percent has come back to Osijek-Baranja County. Drmic said 3,540 people had returned to Vukovar and it was 17 percent of the entire number of people evicted from that town. In addition, 2,000 applications for the return to Vukovar have been submitted as well. Arbanas told the session that 18,923 people had returned to Osijek- Baranja County, with 13,700 returnees to the area of Baranja. She added that the process of the return had slowed down in summer. From last September to the end of June this year, special commissions checked 4,765 housing units in Vukovar to get an insight into developments on the ground, Drmic said. It was established that 960 families had permits to live in houses or flats, issued by the so-called Krajina authorities, which used to be the leadership of Serb rebels, 423 families moved into housing units illegally, 234 units were vacated, 1,616 families lived in their flats under their tenancy rights, while 27 housing units had changed their purpose. Vukovar-Sirmium County Prefect Rudolf Koenig said that 2,000 houses were being now reconstructed in the county. Speaking of the conclusions of today's meeting Skare-Ozbolt said that yet another review of the situation on the ground was necessary prior to the Croatian Government's adoption of a decree on renting flats. (hina) ms