The residents of Bëxulla have come out again in protest today, like every Sunday for seven months. They are protesting the Thumanë-Kashar road project, as they claim that their properties affected by the highway are not being properly compensated.
Not only with the compensations, but in a statement to the media, the protestors say that the road completely disables the village as it does not provide any solution for the residents.
"The road puts the village out of business. We have to travel 10-15 km to get to our apartments. To be well and beautiful in your home on the streets that have been around for a long time.
Today they destroy them without giving any kind of solution for the village as it will be accessible even within the village. There are no underpasses, no overpasses, and no secondary roads. This project makes you fly to the moon. Today we don't know where to go. They don't give us any solution.
They say we are studying this situation and we are seeing once again in our studios how it will develop. Here a masquerade takes place in this administrative unit. Those who are tasked with providing solutions are not accountable. The distance of 100 meters from us is the airport road", they say.
One of the residents also spoke about the procedure followed for expropriations by the government. He stated that the minister Belinda Balluku herself has stated that the state does not invest a single penny to build this road, while raising the question why they are involved in expropriations by not taking the land at market value.
"We have complained to all the institutions, from the prime minister to the institutions after that and to the embassies. Only in Hipoteka we discussed with the director. We have requested the expropriation of the property at market value or by agreement. The People's Advocate is one of the institutions that has not put water on the fire. The only institution that did not respond.
I contacted the Ministry of Infrastructure and was told that the company did not apply for a permit. KKT told me the same thing. On December 14, they gave him a development permit and on March 8, he received a construction permit. But even to this day, he has not received permission for the development of the project. The lawyers have explained to us the procedure that we must follow.
There is no road project even to this day. Since the first days we have contacted lawyers and two days ago, by a decision of the Court of Appeal, the land must be expropriated at the market value.
The village should boycott the elections. The state has been silent for 8 months and does not give us a solution, then we should not participate in the elections because the state does not recognize us. I have met the opposition candidate as well as the current mayor of the area, but here the municipality was not asked, but the Ministry of Infrastructure entered on its own. The first contract was with a private company and the second with the concessionaire. Balluku said that the state does not invest a penny for this road, but takes it after 35 years, so why does the state take part in the expropriations", said one of the residents.