Damages in Zall Bastar from the earthquake/ Residents: They ask us for bribes even if we repair it with our money

2023-05-10 14:38:00, Aktualitet CNA

Damages in Zall Bastar from the earthquake/ Residents: They ask us for bribes

Silvi Bardhi in Zall Bastar

The spokesperson of the candidate Belind Kelliçi's campaign, Silvi Bardhi, has been to the administrative unit in Zall Bastar, which is one of the areas hit by the earthquake three years ago.

Bardhi brought the concrete example of the abandonment by the municipality of the family with six members of Xhav Kodra, which is still suffering the consequences of the earthquake.

His house is almost uninhabitable due to cracks in the walls and severe damage to the roof. Three years after the earthquake, the Municipality of Tirana and the Administrative Unit have not yet sent a commission to verify the damages.

According to Bardhi, seeing the negligence of the municipality, the head of the family is ready to repair his house himself, but he accuses the Municipality of Tirana of asking for a bribe to give him a permit.

He says that his neighbors have been compensated, although some of them no longer live in Zall-Bastar, but in the capital.

Excerpts from the conversation:

"I went to the Zall Bastar Unit and they told me to apply, nothing. I went to Tirana, I sent my son, nothing at all. Now, after two or three months of this work, they called my son down and told him to apply again. I went and reapplied, still nothing. I even tell him verbally from the beginning; Ore, how can my house be like this, or because I am right-wing?"

Silvi Bardhi: So you are not even allowed to repair your house with your own money? They are not giving you permission? Why are they not giving you permission?

Xhavit Kodra: They don't give us a permit or anything at all. You have to pay the permit.

Silvi Bardhi: What payment do they want? Are they asking for bribes?

Xhavit Kodra: Yes!

The owner of the house is ready to repair the house himself, although the economic conditions of the Kodra family are difficult, with pensions, seasonal work and no economic assistance.

Xhavit Kodra: They won't even let me repair it. I go to get the permit. I can get the permit, but not without 6 or 7 million lek to give and put in their pocket, no! They are not even interested at all. I went and told him to come and bring me the commission from below to see my house. "No," he told me, "I'm not going to bring a commission to see it!"

This is the responsibility of the Municipality of Tirana and the municipal units towards the families, which had severe damage to their houses during the earthquake and were not compensated, reimbursed or helped. The case of Mr. Xhavit Kodra testifies to the real situation of families, which have been neglected by the municipal units, but also by the Municipality of Tirana itself./ CNA.al