"We are worried about the fortification problem. The central government must do its job in a more significant manner. More should be done to spare human lives," said State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss on a tour of the Gaza vicinity communities on Wednesday.
Lindenstrauss visited a high school in the Eshkol Regional Council in the northwestern Negev and was horrified at the sight of the unfortified building's ceiling.
The comptroller also met with a group of Gush Katif evacuees who informed him about the delays they have faced in having plots of land allotted for their new homes and farms.
Alon Shuster, mayor of Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council, told the comptroller that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had not kept his promise of fortifying the residents' homes. "Here we see that in the 2008 budget not one shekel goes to this matter," Shuster said.
'Comptroller does not impose fear'
The mayor told Lindenstrauss that the council's educational institutions had not been fortified and that some 150 students were expected to abandon the educational system in the area due to the continued rocket attacks.
"The Education Ministry tells us to go and teach, but there is no fortification there. This means that they cannot study subjects such as physics, chemistry and biology," the mayor said.
Lindenstrauss said that he agreed that these areas should be fortified and that he was currently preparing another report on the matter.
"I am very concerned and hope and pray that these problems will be solved quickly. I assume that there is a wide public echo and, word to the wise, this public echo should be enlisted for this cause."
Commenting on his poor relationship with the prime minister, Lindenstrauss said, "It's no secret that over the past two years the state control has expressed its stance on many issues in a very clear and blunt manner, some may even say too blunt.
"We are concerned that if we do not give our opinion on matters of integrity we will find ourselves a Third World country. We are working according to the law for the efficiency of the government and in order to prevent waste."
"I have not seen a man, no matter how senior, who would say that he did not do what he was supposed to do out of fear of the comptroller. I do not believe that anyone abiding the law would have to fear the comptroller. There are people who are not doing their jobs properly, and say that they are not doing it out of fear of the comptroller. But the comptroller does not impose fear, and anyone doing their job will be 100% safe," he added.