Habilitates a line of aid of 200,000 euros to support these municipalities
The Diputación de Albacete has requested the central government to declare a Seriously Affected Area for eight municipalities damaged by the storms in May. In addition, it has enabled an urgent aid line endowed with 200,000 euros (at a rate of 25,000 euros per locality) to support these municipalities in the repair of rural roads deteriorated by the storms.
During the session, the provincial vice president and head of the Works area, Fran Valera, has detailed the scope of the initiative driven to urgently address the needs of the affected municipalities and to formally request the Spanish government to activate extraordinary resources.
The storms severely affected the municipal terms of Hellín, Tobarra, Tarazona de la Mancha, Madrigueras, Pozo Cañada, Alcalá del Júcar, Mahora, and Cenizate, where significant damages have been recorded, especially in agricultural roads that were in many cases devastated in a matter of minutes, as reported by the Diputación in a press release.
Valera has emphasized that these actions cannot prevent extreme weather phenomena, but they do allow «to respond to municipalities, as far as possible, from our competencies, rigorously and without ever falling into populist approaches.»
In addition to this direct economic measure, the Diputación has also approved to convey to the Spanish government the request for these eight municipal terms to be declared a Seriously Affected Area by a Civil Protection Emergency.
A declaration that, as Valera has pointed out, «is more of an intention declaration than an immediate effect, but it can mean an important relief for those who are suffering the most.» With its approval by the Council of Ministers, the municipalities and affected individuals could benefit from various support lines, such as tax exemptions, flexibility in agricultural insurance conditions, aid to agricultural operations, and funds for the recovery of municipal infrastructures.
The vice president has stressed that this is a «serious, rigorous, and documented» proposal, fully justified by the magnitude of the damages, and has pointed out that on other occasions, the province has been able to benefit from this legal figure for actions not only municipal but also on affected provincial roads.
ELECTRONIC PLATFORM
Beyond this urgent matter, the Plenary has reported on the activity that the electronic administration platform Sedipualb@ continues to develop, promoted and managed by the Diputación de Albacete itself and continues to position itself as a reference at the state level.
In recent weeks, new public bodies from outside the province have begun to implement this technological solution, which already allows thousands of local entities, councils, and autonomous bodies throughout Spain to modernize their services, improve their internal management, and facilitate procedures for citizens.
FAREWELL TO JOSEFINA MANSILLA
On the other hand, the Popular Group of the Diputación de Albacete has expressed recognition and gratitude for the work and dedication of Josefina Mansilla, mayor of Bonete, who in this Thursday’s Plenary has presented her resignation as provincial deputy, for personal reasons, as stated by the PP in a statement.
«I thank the colleagues of the Corporation and the workers of this house for their support during these two years in which I have been part of the Provincial Council; it is an honor to have been part of the institution, and I have contributed my modest work for the province, making the Council closer to all the neighbors,» said the mayor of Bonete.
For his part, the spokesperson of the Popular Group, Antonio Serrano, has thanked the work of Josefina Mansilla, highlighting her «good and simple person» attitude. «She has been a good colleague, she will continue to be a good mayor who will continue to help us, and it has been a pleasure to have her in our Group for these two years.»
In similar terms of empathy and gratitude, the rest of the spokespersons of political groups and the president of the Provincial Council, Santiago Cabañero, have also expressed themselves.
Josefina Mansilla will be replaced in the position of provincial deputy by the next person on the list of the Almansa judicial district, specifically the mayor of Fuenteálamo, Josefa Montes.