The Liopetri Community Council has been left without any information for months regarding what will be done with the offers for the Liopetri River rehabilitation project. This fact already causes intense discomfort to both the community authorities and the professional fishermen who are active in the area.
According to Community Council sources, the involvement in promoting the project came after interested bidders submitted bids in excess of eight million euros, well above the 6,8 million euros estimated for construction. of.
As a result of this development, the Audit Office requested the literal application of the Law in such cases. That is, the cancellation of the bidding process and their re-announcement, based on the real cost of the project, which in fact is much more than 6,8 million euros.
Nevertheless, although the above development took place a few months ago (since last autumn), the whole issue still seems to be on the naphthalene, with the Community Council clearly annoyed.
Council sources told "Phileleftheros" that the project was planned and announced during the reign of Dimitris Christofias, was refrigerated for a while after the financial crisis and then reprogrammed for execution. In fact, a press conference was held with the Ministry of Agriculture at the Council offices, in order to give publicity to this great project.
Nevertheless, seven years later, the project is not only on paper, but neither can it be said when and how it will proceed, point out circles of the Community Council.
The issue is becoming relevant at this time for another reason. Due to the turbulence of the past period, the mouth of the natural fjord has become muddy, with the result that many boats get stuck while trying to enter or exit and their pilots have difficulty.
In addition, due to the perspective of the rehabilitation project, the river infrastructure in terms of the areas where the boats moor, the fishermen remains almost non-existent and any projects (small docks) have been constructed and maintained at their own expense by the fishermen themselves.
The only natural fjord on the island
In Liopetri they also believe that the regeneration of the river, the only natural fjord on the island, will be the basis for the future tourist and economic development of the community. Especially through the perspective of the unification and the formation of a municipality, with Ayia Napa and Sotira. The creation of a bridge that will connect from south to north the banks of the river, cafes, a square with paving, etc. will be, they emphasize in Liopetri, the southernmost coastal part of the new municipality, following the coastal front of Agia Thekla which belongs to Sotira, but also the marina and consequently the coastal front of Ayia Napa.
A coastal front that will be the largest for a single Municipal Authority in Cyprus and which will give the opportunity to Liopetri, which is currently at a disadvantage, to enter dynamically in the tourist map of the island.
The only information that, unofficially, the community of Liopetri had, and that a few weeks ago, was that efforts are being made to find a solution.
"However, time passes and a solution is not announced to us", they declare to the Community Council.
Source: Phileleftheros / Pampos Vassilas