THE NIN RELEASED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PRESIDENT NOVAKOVIC
17.2.2011
At the prestigious weekly gazette NIN, number 3138 from February 17th 2011, it released an interview with Prof. Dr Igor Novakovic, president of the City Municipality of Palilula in Nis. In section “Business Club”, written by Editor Jovanka Matic, was published text, on two pages, named “Many inherited and many solved problems”.  About the work of Palilula Municipality  president Novakovic among other things, says: “City Municipality of Palilula – Nis in many ways is specific in Serbia, primarily by the large number of inhabitants in difficult social situation. Officially Municipality has 80.000 inhabitants, but it is sure to have at least 20.000 of them who are not registered and belong mainly to refugees and displaced persons and the Roma population. This is way in the past two years Municipal Administration worked primarily how to define and begin to realize the goals that are based on real needs of local population, primarily on social needs, which is in the same time part of development plans and goals of City of Nis.

Analyzing the situation in the City Municipality of Palilula, in the time of constitution of present government have been noticed many problems from which the most have been expressed those related for human resources, finance and carry out responsibilities delegated by the City to the Municipality, says in a review of that period president of City Municipality of Palilula Professor Dr Igor Novakovic: “Is essential for progress are strategically plans for City Municipality, which none existed in the beginning of performance of our duties. I think that it is not necessary, after ending of this mandate, the next government, that someone make hasty decisions, because we did and unanimously adopted in the Assembly of City Municipality of Palilula strategic document named Strategic Analysis and Strategic Directions of Development of City Municipality of Palilula.

This document first passed systematic analysis and then brought us strategic goals related to our future work. On the question: “How much space in the engagement of local authorities left for other important questions, as infrastructure, ecology, education? President Novakovic among other things answered: “ We care about all above aspects. The most in this period we invested in infrastructure, and in the terms of the city I think that in our Municipality is the most invested. Much more funds is invested in infrastructure in Palilula Municipality then in other Nis` municipalities together. We create conditions for opening a new police office, opening of safe house, we arranged Memorial Park Bubanj, which extends on the 34 hectares. During the Second World War in this area was shot 12 thousands people… In this moment is reconstruction of summer stage on the Bubanj, capacity of 2700 seats. It is a magnificent building which will in early spring adorn this municipality. It is about memorial park and we are trying to save those anti – fascist values, to point out that there was shot our citizens, to point out what happened to us in the period of fascism and why young people should not approach to the ultra-right wing and fascism organizations, because there is children whose ancestors were shot by the Fascist, and today are in the right wing and Neo Nazi   organizations. Beside contributing to the historical and cultural terms, thus contributing to the current struggle against fascist ideas.

When we consider, I think that for a such a short time we done a lot, and this year we plan to do much more. Editor of “business club” Jovanka Matic, in the text box released in NIN, presented hers interlocutors, president of Nis` Palilula Municipality: “President of City Municipality of Palilula Professor Dr Igor Novakovic is an electrical engineer, function of the President doing voluntary. He is Professor of University in Kosovska Mitrovica. He doesn’t live from politics and his motivation to come at the head of the municipality was that with coalition partners – member of the Socialist Party of Serbia – do its best to make City Municipality of Palilula modern European unit of local self – government. He says that the fact that he is volunteer but an educated man, gives the power and right to say all that he thinks, and to openly draw attention to the negative phenomena in order of its overcome.”