A group of war veterans who had fought in Transnistria and Afghanistan protested on Monday, November 4 in front of the City Hall of Chisinau against the intention of the local authorities to dispossess them of the plots located on Trifan Balta Street, near “Valea Morilor” Lake, which were given to them several years ago for gardening. One of the veterans, Zaharia Sclifos told Info-Prim Neo that without announcing the land holders, the municipal authorities already started to sell the lands for building private houses. Although previously the local authorities refused to offer the lands for building houses because of the soil erosion, at present they found another reason: the lands are valuable and can not be offered free of charge, Sclifos added. About 50 plots, 300-400 square meters each located on Trifan Balta Street were distributed to the ex-service men. Although the lands were given for a period of three years, the war veterans continue until now to take care of the land. The veterans say that many of them do not have own dwellings to date. Among the persons who protested on Monday in front of the City Hall were also the lodgers of the so called “house of the MPs” from Corobceanu Street, which was taken over by the service men by force. Authorities did not yet recognize the legal character of veterans’ action, so that the issue of the dwelling space is still uncertain for them. The ex-service men say that the numerous petitions submitted to the Presidency, Government and City Hall were to little avail. The only promise was recently made by the interim Mayor Vasile Ursu, who said that within the City Hall a commission which will analyze the documents which certify the participation of each veteran in the armed conflict in Transnistria and the necessity for a dwelling, will be created. The interim Mayor’s counsellor Tudor Garbu told Info-Prim that a commission of the City Hall visited on Monday to the lands located on Trifan Balta in order to analyze the possibility of prolonging their term of use. Even if the prolongation of lands’ term of use will be decided, they will have to be used only for gardening, not for the construction of dwellings, Garbu said. The “Valea Morilor” region is part of a vast renovation project which is promoted by the local authorities with the support and direct involvement of Moldova’s leadership.