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| Residents of Dukagjin protesting in the pedestrian street of Shkodra |
The residents of the mountainous area of Dukagjin started their protest with a silent march from the municipality of Shkodra to the prefecture, where they asked the local and central government to keep the successive promises, given over the last 25 years, for the reconstruction of the road from 52 kilometers long, connecting 30 villages of the three administrative units of Dukagjin.
Unmaintained and out of all safety conditions, the Dukagjini road has turned into a road of accidents and an obstacle to development, prompting the immigration of residents towards Shkodra and other areas of the country. At the protest, one of the organizers, Luigj Mila, read the demands of the residents of Dukagjin.
"On the International Day of Social Justice, the people of Dukagjin demand that the necessary measures be taken for the construction and asphalting of the road segment that connects the administrative units of Pult, Shoshi, and Shala, starting from the village of Prekal, in accordance with the norms approved by the Albanian Road Authority. Start the maintenance of the existing road until the works for the new road start", he said.
With a rich history and traditions, the mountainous area of Dukagjin during the last 30 years has faced numerous problems such as isolation due to the condition of the road, but also the lack of social services, most necessary for remote mountainous areas.
It is precisely this situation, according to one of the organizers of today's protest, Mark Rupa, that has pushed the residents of Dukagjin to break their silence.
"It is a road that connects three administrative units of Shkodra, it connects 30 mountain villages among the most picturesque in Europe, a road that has caused about 52 victims, has created obstacles in the area, isolation of people, great economic poverty, lack of opportunities to develop. Therefore, today the Dukagjini community has gathered to break the 30-year silence regarding this road and to attract the attention of the institutions to raise their voice and provide a solution to the Dukagjini road", he says.
Today's protest by the residents of Dukagjin is in the wake of their repeated requests over the years, addressed to both right-wing and left-wing governments, but in response to these requests, they say they have only received promises.
A few months ago, the residents of Koman also protested about the condition of the road that connects Koman with Vau i Dejës, part of the road axis that goes to Tropoja. Two years ago, the rehabilitation of this road was also promised, but the funds were not approved, leaving this important road axis in an almost impassable condition.
After today's protest by the residents of Dukagjin, through vice mayor, Tonin Deda, the municipality of Shkodra reacted, which announced that, at the end of last year, it made two attempts to secure funds and that, at the beginning of this year, has applied with a project to the National Civil Defense Agency. The municipality promised an additional fund from its budget for the rehabilitation of the road.
"We, from the 4 percent civil defense fund, will allocate an additional fund and, eventually, restore, rehabilitate, this road with works of art so that it becomes possible to pass normally even with small vehicles from Prekali to Mount Shoshi, Breg Lumi and Interlusaj", he says.