The President of the Municipality of Bijelo Polje, Petar Smolović, denied the claims of representatives of the Vraneš Citizens' Association that he is in any way opposed to the construction of roads in Vraneš, but that the opposite is true and that the Municipality, as before, "strongly supports the development of that area."
"But we insist on an even and fair distribution of funds, with full respect for the interests of all six local communities that make up Vraneš," Smolović said in response.
Representatives of that association sent an open letter yesterday claiming that Smolović is obstructing the construction of that road, which is why they announced a warning protest in the town of Gorice for today, and a collection of signatures for the secession of Vraneš from the Municipality of Bijelo Polje is underway.
"Two individuals, residing in Podgorica, cannot, outside of official procedures, without any consultations with local communities and without any criteria, guided by personal interest, decide on their own initiative where 12 kilometers of road will be paved, to the detriment of other citizens of Vraneš who claim the same rights as the aforementioned individuals. It is not acceptable that decisions on infrastructure projects are made based on personal connections and private agreements, instead of through discussion and agreement with citizens, neighbors and relatives from Vraneš. The municipality will retain its institutional powers and will not allow this way of decision-making, neither now nor in the future. Privatization of public interests will never be an option for us," said Smolović.
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The municipality, as he pointed out, will not support projects that aim to direct public funds towards individual households, weekend homes or hamlets, especially when it comes to locations that are visited only a few times a year.
"Priority will always be given to those projects that address the everyday needs of citizens, primarily those families and children who walk to school every day, in difficult conditions. As a responsible administration, we must protect the public interest, not private demands packaged in political statements. There is not a single decision of this administration that has not been made in consultation with legitimate representatives of local communities, based on the needs of the population and recommendations of professional services. Unlike your ad hoc initiatives that are created from offices far from Vraneš, our approach is based on direct communication with the people who live here every day, who know best where the critical points are, where the road collapses, where vehicles get stuck in winter, and where children walk in the dark on their way to school. They are our interlocutors. And you are always welcome to contribute, but with respect for procedures, not pressure," said Smolović.
He said that not a single meter of asphalt in Vraneš will depend on the will of individuals, but exclusively on mutual agreement and balance between local communities.
"If you really care about the interests of this area, talk to the locals. Make an agreement with your neighbors and relatives who have already expressed disagreement with your unilateral initiatives and submitted a request to the Municipality with over 200 signatures for a fair and equal distribution of asphalt in Vraneš," concluded Smolović.
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