Bridge construction begins, Xhaçka: AAF wherever all surrender

: Published: Wednesday, 27 September 2017 12:58

For many years, 3000 residents from the villages of Poroçan, Holtas, Gjere, Lleshaj in Gramsh Municipality have been suffering the isolation from the rest of the country, especially during the difficult winter time. Schools and health centers, far away from each other and from the villages, have increasingly been unattainable by the inhabitants due to the amortization of the footbridge, the only one connecting the area to the rest of the municipality. But the situation will end after no more than 10 days, when the new bridge, Bailey type, is expected to be finished. Today, we started to construct the bridge with the help of Bridges platoon personnel of Engineering Battalion from the Support Command.

Minister of Defense, Olta Xhaçka, present on the first day of the construction work, stated that the Armed Forces of Albania are those who never surrender and are present wherever no one can succeed.

"When all other actors cannot succeed because they don't have the capacities to build a bridge, or to respond to the consequences of a natural disaster, or cannot effort the emergency needs for help, the Armed Forces are always there, as they will always be, near the citizen and the community. In the first 100 days of the government, we will have more of such bridges, to enable many villages, like the villages near Poroçan, in order to save them from the isolation of a harsh winter. 3000 people would also have the opportunity to move easily as those 300 pupils of these four villages, together with their parents will find it much easier to move towards the three secondary schools and three high schools”, said the Minister at the meeting with the residents of Poroçan.

She reminded the event of five years ago, where two teenage sisters risked their lives, as the bridge where they were going to school collapsed.

"Life security and the community assistance will be the primary and basic principle of our job, from the governing structures to every soldier, to help our communities and to help all the residents. Like here in Poroçan, we will do our best, all over Albania, all over the most isolated areas and wherever the communities need our assistance, the Armed Forces will always be there to support the residents", - said Minister Xhaçka.

Present at the event were also the Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Bardhyl Kollçaku, Mayor of Gramsh Municipality, Mrs. Luljeta Dollani and the Member of Parliament of the Region, Mr. Anastas Angjeli.

Besides saving people of isolation and the possibility of assistance in case of being stuck of snow or rainfall, the bridge with a length of 21 m and a capacity of weight bearing of 40 tons, will also be convenient to the four health centers, which will now offer the right service to the residents, getting closer to the health facilities in Gramsh and beyond.