CRO GOVT PROPOSES MEASURES FOR BREATHING LIFE INTO PREVIOUSLY OCCU

OCCU $ PIED AREAS ZAGREB, May 4 (Hina) - Croatian Reconstruction Minister Jure Radic on Saturday held a news conference in Zagreb at which he presented a Bill on areas of special government care. The Bill consists of a number of measures which should encourage refugees to return to their homes as quickly as possible, as well as settlement and economic development in the areas near the border which had been occupied until last year, and other areas. Some of such measures are giving out of houses, apartments and land for agriculture, tax and customs benefits, as well as higher wages of 25 and 50% for state officials than in any other areas in Croatia. It was one of the strategic laws with long-term significance which would contribute to correcting the historical wrong, Radic said, citing examples of great demographic changes in these areas, damaging to Croats. For example, 1,217 people lived in Knin in 1880, out of which 613 were Croats and 435 Serbs. In 1991, there had been 12,331 people living in Knin, 1,660 Croats and 9,867 Serbs, and some Croat villages had completely disappeared, Radic said. He said that 200,000 people could settle in the areas of special government care. (hina) lm jn 041607 MET may 96