With posters and chanting “Give us back the land”, “Akra”, “Talasakra” and “Chervenka are ours”, “DPS steals our land” started the protest of citizens in Chernomorets. It was organized by an initiative committee headed by Vasil Zhechev, and the occasion is the request for years that the lands in the former military divisions in the city be returned to the real boundaries of their former owners.
Some of these lands are already out of use, but they are not returned to the people. Instead, they receive notifications from the Sozopol Municipal Agriculture Office that they are being compensated in the more remote villages of the municipality.
The even bigger problem is that some of them received these notices in the last working days before the Christmas holidays and so they are deprived of the possibility of the 14-day appeal period, which is by law.
Zhechev explained to the media that there are also owners whose properties are returned, for example, near the Gradina camping site, but they are units and have managed to secure the restitution because they have some political power.
The mayor of Chernomorets, Rosen Despov, supported the protest of his fellow citizens and stated that he will do whatever it takes to get them legally compensated.
Unfortunately, despite the desire of the local government to solve the long-standing problem, it is not in their hands.
At the meeting a few days ago, the Director of the Directorate “Administrative-Legal and Information Services” in the municipality Galina Georgieva specified that who accepted the compensation offered to him and did not appeal, has already forfeited his right to receive his land within real limits.
Those who have not yet received the documents for compensation in another settlement, or the 14-day period for appealing the received decisions has not yet expired, should immediately file a lawsuit. Complaints can also be filed directly in court if the persons do not have access or the opportunity to get acquainted with their documents in the Municipal Land Commission.
Vasil Zhechev explains the problem.
However, they need to check exactly which lands and in which land they have declared that they want to be restored to them.
There are also those that cannot be returned, Ms. Georgieva specified. Such is the problem with the division in the Accra area. The Burgas Regional Administration, which currently manages the property, has taken steps to include it in the compensation plan, but the Ministry of Health has not allowed it, as it does not meet the conditions for inclusion in the land fund.
In cases, such as the city of Accra, when there is no need for property related to the defense and security of the country, at the request of the former owner or his heirs, the regional governor cancels the expropriation if the persons have not been compensated.
What is specific in this case is that the request is made within 6 months from the date of the promulgation of the decision of the Council of Ministers, and again the period is too short and apparently many former owners have not been able to take advantage.
In the specific case, the regulation of the Council of Ministers specified in the law, which would determine the terms and conditions for canceling the expropriation, is also missing, which further complicates the decision on the case.
We support the opinion of the residents of the town of Chernomorets that the Plan for compensation and accommodation of the entitled persons was prepared with unclear criteria and lack of publicity, and although the law does not have such requirements, the procedure could have been more open, the municipal administration stated.
The mayor of the municipality of Sozopol, Tihomir Yanakiev, said that he supports the people and is ready to lead a group from the initiative committee to meet with the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry and discuss this case with him.
He will attend a meeting of the initiative committee with regional governor Plamen Yanev next week, at which everyone hopes to get some answers from the one on whom the solution to the problem depends.
