The Spatial Plan for the national park "Bješkët e Nemuna" to transform the area of Rugova into a national park has shown dissatisfaction among the residents of Rugova. Residents demand that this plan not be implemented, that the law be changed and that private properties be removed from the national park. Meanwhile, the municipality said that they must protect the interests of the residents, but also the park.
The citizen from Peja, Veton Mujaj, told KosovaPress that over 330 people in a public debate were unanimously against the spatial plan for the National Park "Bjeshket e Nemuna", but as he said, it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
"We are dealing with a law, the law on the Bjeshke i Nemuna National Park, which was approved in 2013 and came into effect in 2015. Since then, there has been no specific action on the act under the law. I I see this as a sub-legal act of the national park law. The problem that this law causes if it is established, apart from the payments, even though the minister says that there will be no payments for residents, but there will be for the guests of the residents and the people in the houses theirs will have problems. Residents demand that this plan not be implemented and that the law be changed, and that private property be removed from the national park from the law. Over 330 people who were in the public debate have unanimously said no. Apparently this again fell on deaf ears, because in the parliamentary committee, it immediately passed for inclusion in the parliament", said Mujaj.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the municipality of Peja, Faik Zekaj, stated that they have requested that the park area be removed, because according to him, it is causing them problems in construction and "no one is taking responsibility".
He said that it is a good project, but it remains to be seen if it will be voted by the deputies.
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Rugova citizens protest against the decision banning construction in the park
"We have requested that the park area be removed, because we are having many problems with construction and no one is taking responsibility there. I believe that a good project has been made, but it remains to be seen in the assembly how they are flowing or how they are reacting in the assembly. They are demanding that the ramp be for tourists only and not for residents. I believe that this should be resolved with an agreement that is signed and not remain in words, that has been this way has been that way. It is in the draft law that we have expressed and we are with the concerns of the residents because it does not benefit us, we must always protect the interest of the residents, but at the same time we must take into account that we must also protect the park", emphasized Zekaj.
He added that through public hearings, citizens' complaints have been addressed and that it is not correct for some people who do not visit or know Rugova to decide for him.
"I believe that they took into account the concerns of the residents, to vote, and if not, I don't know how a plan can be made when the concerns of those people who live there are not taken into account. It is not correct that some people who do not visit or know Rugova very much, decide for her. We have had public hearings and deputies have also participated and they will be reasonable with the demands of the residents who had them in that public hearing. Public hearings, hearings with citizens are the places where we should complain. It was the best day that we expressed our concerns, or the residents expressed their concerns", said Zekaj.
Meanwhile, the citizen Mujaj emphasized that a considerable number of complaints of the residents of this municipality have not been taken into account.
According to him, everything went by ignoring the citizens.
"Citizens' complaints have not been taken into account until now, what happened, lies happened, because certain government commissions came and were called, but they never met with the residents. Everything has gone by ignoring the residents, because they knew that the residents had reasonable and powerful complaints, which are not very easy for them to accept in order to elect them. I don't see much hope at the moment that they will receive complaints from residents, gradually with the work they are doing. In this case, the government, if the parliament continues like this, they are purposely pushing a kind of revolt of this small population", he added.
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Veselaj: Indigenous Rugova residents should be allowed to invest in Bjeshkët e Nemuna
The Presidency of the Assembly of Kosovo has foreseen the spatial plan for the "Bjeshket e Nemuna" National Park as an agenda item for two past sessions, however, the sessions were interrupted, failing to be reviewed.
Otherwise, the spatial plan for the national park "Bješkët e Nemuna" has been started since 2014./ksp
