SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA, December 30 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The President of the Canary Islands Government, Ángel Víctor Torres, announced this Thursday that more than 120 million euros in aid have already been distributed on the island of La Palma to cover the damage caused by the Cumbre Vieja volcano.
In a press conference to give an account of the agreements adopted in the mixed commission, he commented that those affected “deserve” that the aid reaches their pockets and has justified the delay in which it had to be done with “legal certainty” and through the registry only affected.
In fact, it has pointed out that during the process “fraud” has been detected to benefit from the aid, giving as an example that there were people who reported the loss of the home but it was an inheritance and therefore not sole owners, others who gave the number of account without noticing that they were in the process of divorce with community property or who said that they had lost three homes and it turns out that it was one with three families inside.
“All this must be confronted, it must be verified, dated, and sat down with the families,” he said, defending the work carried out by the team of 30 social workers, often on holidays and days off, and the honesty and honesty of the majority. of those affected.
Torres has reported that at the end of December 29, the single registry of affected persons has received a total of 4,533 requests, of which 2,473 have been resolved, representing 62%.
Regarding the aid, he has detailed that more than 3 million of the donations that are in the accounts of the Cabildo and the municipalities of El Paso, Tazacorte and Los Llanos de Aridane have already been distributed; 13.5 million for the banana subsector; almost 2 million to SMEs and companies; more than 2 million to cover the costs of accommodation in hotels for allergy sufferers and almost 100 homes have been acquired “and in record time”, to which is added that in January the prefabricated ones will begin to be delivered.
Likewise, it has indicated that 264,000 euros have been distributed for the purchase of furniture and appliances; more than 63 million through the insurance consortium; 1.5 million to municipalities for essential basic services; 200,000 euros for the payment of the extraordinary PCI; vehicle insurance and psychological support; 10.3 million for 44 businesses through the consortium, 3.5 million for the self-employed and 5 million for desalination plants.
In addition, he highlighted the implementation of the employment plan for more than 1,600 people amounting to 63, “the largest in the history of the Canary Islands”, and that the file is already being completed to pay an aid of 60,000 euros per lost home and for a total of 4.2 million.
Torres has insisted that “the emergency continues and with difficulties” but it has already entered “phase B” that marks “the safe reconstruction”, underlining that many people will be able to return to their homes once the ash is removed.
THE DECREE-LAW OF PLANNING, ALMOST READY
He has also said that an emergency decree-law for planning is being finalized, in the absence of any pending contribution from a local administration, “with consensus” with the administrations and those affected and in order to make the recovery of the neighborhoods compatible. with an urban planning “of the XXI century” based on “sustainability and efficiency”.
In this sense, it has advanced that the construction of the emergency highway between Las Manchas and Puerto Naos will be completed next week if there are no more delays derived from the presence of gases in the area.
The president of the Cabildo de La Palma, Mariano Hernández, has highlighted the “commitment” of the administrations to ‘leave their skin’ in the reconstruction of the island and now, with the eruption finished, they are working “against the clock” so that people can return to their homes as “people are still the top priority.”
It has valued the work carried out by the sole registry of the autonomous community for the delivery of donations – more than 2 million Cabildo accounts and there are still another eight million – and hopes that the planning decree-law will be approved as soon as possible. “to respond promptly” to the demands of those affected.