(Sixth Power) – Forlì – 23 April 2024 – After several minutes in which no one appeared on the benches of the majority forces, in the end, the council commission of investigation and study on the flood emergency, convened for this afternoon at 4.45pm, the political parties of the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Forlì-Cesena Province and the Municipality of Forlì are also present in the chamber and/or connected online. Canceled due to lack of quorum.
«We are incredulous and very saddened» say the municipal councilors of the Democratic party Elisa Massa, Matteo Zattoni and Soufian Hafi Alemani, present in the chamber and members of the Commission, «This last meeting of the Commission was very important for us, strongly desired by President Biondi which voted for a specific extension on the duration at the last city council meeting. Today’s session was expected to conclude the Commission’s activity with the examination of the findings; the political parties of the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Forlì-Cesena Province, the Municipality of Forlì, present in the room or connected remotely, were also invited. The absence of both the majority political forces of this Municipality, Fratelli d’Italia and Lega”, continue the councilors, “reaffirms for the umpteenth time the absence of sensitivity and awareness of the serious consequences of the flood issue as well as a lack of respect towards flooded families and businesses”.
«About a month after the flood, the Emilia-Romagna Region presented the Meloni government with a very precise estimate of the damage suffered: from those due to flooding in the plains, to those due to landslides in the hills and in the Apennines. In total, damage amounting to 8.8 million euros was reported, of which 4 billion for the restoration of infrastructure and public works such as roads, bridges, river banks and canals. Construction sites were immediately opened for urgent works, especially to reopen roads interrupted by flooding and landslides. With a first decree at the end of May 2023, 2.2 billion euros were promised, then incredibly reduced to 1.6 billion, of which 620 million for redundancy payments in companies, 250 million for support for self-employed workers and 300 million to help company exports. Most of the companies managed to open without resorting to redundancy payments and therefore this money returned to the state coffers. No sum was allocated for private citizens who had suffered flood damage. So the Emilia-Romagna Region provided the 36,000 flood victims with a contribution of 3,000 euros to cover immediate expenses and the 2 CAS and CIS contributions for displaced people forced to sleep with relatives and friends or in hotels. Subsequently the Emilia-Romagna Region gave a further contribution of 2,000 euros for other documented expenses”: add Elisa Massa, Matteo Zattoni and Soufian Hafi Alemani.
«In the autumn – continue the Dem councilors – General Figliuolo considered that for private individuals, i.e. for flood-affected citizens who have to renovate their homes, only 630 million euros were available for direct compensation and 700 million in the form of credit tax, i.e. a reduction in taxes. So people will be able to ask for a maximum of 20,000 euros, while companies can ask for 40,000 euros. However, the Meloni government, right from the start, promised 100% of the compensation. When the reimbursement machine seemed to have started, citizens and entrepreneurs had to deal with a complex, indecipherable and slow system. I’m talking about the Sphinx platform, the only digital means to request refunds. Given the objective difficulties, the Sfinge platform has been lightened and simplified by the Emilia-Romagna Region and in fact the updated data say that, to date, 1,900 people have submitted the application. These applications are currently suspended and being evaluated by the Municipality. According to Alessandra Bucchi, president of the Mud Victims Committee, the checks signed by Figliuolo are very few and not all in Forli: there are only about ten, of which 5 in Ravenna”.
«Uncertainty continues to reign. Many people have paid for appraisals to attach to the application and it is not known whether they will be accepted. We are in spring, tax return period, and there is still no indication of the tax credit announced last autumn. There is no certainty regarding the reimbursement of movable property for which General Figliuolo was firm in saying that no compensation will be granted despite repeated requests from the Emilia-Romagna Region. President Bonaccini has repeatedly said that without the reimbursement of movable assets there will never be a 100% reimbursement, as promised by the Meloni government. Bonaccini himself has repeatedly reiterated that we will not be able to feel satisfied until the movable assets are reimbursed. Figliuolo had promised a new ordinance which should have been operational from 15 April and which was intended to simplify the mechanism for submitting applications. In addition to reimbursements, however, the thought also goes to the restoration, safety and structural interventions of the territories devastated by the flood and the many other territories at risk. Let’s talk about the embankments, the canals”: highlight Elisa Massa, Matteo Zattoni and Soufian Hafi Alemani.
«Our attention goes, force majeure, to the municipalities bordering Forlì where, however, these interventions were started a few days after the flood, following the first massive and targeted operations to clean the city of mud and debris. Well, these Municipalities have now also defined the latest structural, restoration and safety works. We ask ourselves why our Municipality has instead remained helpless, why it has not started any work aimed at protecting our city from a possible event even similar to last year’s flood. Why hasn’t it started to operate with structural interventions, with operational and implementation plans on the flooded and at-risk areas? We still ask ourselves today whether the Municipality of Forlì and its council have a real estimate of the damage suffered by our territory and whether they have realized which and how many interventions have added up and multiplied a year later. Yet the junta could and should have acted immediately. He had the authority and power. Instead it chose to remain inert and one year after the flood we can do nothing but continue to mourn our dead and continue to look at our territories devastated by the flood, praising instead the enormous work carried out by the Municipalities very close to Forlì which they suffered the same tragedy but who, with enormous effort, were able to restore decorum, security to their city and dignity to their citizens.”: conclude the municipal councilors of the Democratic party Elisa Massa, Matteo Zattoni and Soufian Hafi Alemani.
Tags: Flood investigation study commission meeting cancelled absence FdI Lega lack respect families businesses
