The President of DIKO Nikolas Papadopoulos took the initiative to raise before the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, the issue of the preparation of the Local Plan of Paralimni - Agia Napa - Deryneia, while the MPs of Famagusta will proceed to register the issue with the Parliament's Interior Committee.
This was stated by the temporary President of the Provincial Self-Governing Organization of Famagusta, Mayor of Paralimni Theodoros Pyrillis, after the meeting held in the afternoon at the Municipal Hall of Paralimni, during which the delay in preparing the Local Plan of Paralimni - Agia Napa - Deryneia was examined.
In statements after the meeting, Mr. Pyrillis thanked "all the Famagusta MPs who were present at the meeting today, as well as those who were absent who had commitments and were unable to attend. I want to thank the MPs for the initiative they have taken to register the issue with the Interior Committee and to start the exercise of Parliamentary Control", he said.
At the same time, Mr. Pyrillis thanked "the President of the Democratic Party, Nikolas Papadopoulos, for the initiative he has taken, to ensure that the issue of the Local Plan of Paralimni, Ayia Napa, Deryneia, is brought before the President of the Republic and determined a meeting where, a delegation of all the parties, in a meeting to be decided by the President of the Republic, the matter should be put on the carpet and now everyone should be held accountable regarding the schedules. We sincerely thank him for the initiative he has taken", he noted.
Besides, in statements before the start of the meeting, Mr. Pyrillis said that "the specific matter has dragged on for a long time and reaches the limits of taunting. The procedures for the Local Plan started in 2014, we have reached 2023 and are yet to be completed," he said, and noted that "this event is a critical blow to the free province of Famagusta in terms of its economic development, the development of its standard of living and the economic prosperity of the world".
He added that "the Local Plan is connected and in terms of the wages that can be offered, the investments are fixed, no one cares whether some invest in this province or not, while 80% of our young people returning from their studies they look for work in other provinces because they find higher salaries."
This, he continued, “means that the scientific field of population is leaving its place. This saddens us, our province has the lowest per capita income according to the figures of the Department of Statistics and Research, with the difference and the gap of the fourth province which is Paphos province, widening continuously since 2000. That's why some governments and parties and our parliamentarians should understand that it's time to learn about the problems of the free province of Famagusta", he said.
Asked to state whether the three regions are the only ones that do not yet have a Local Plan, Mr. Pyrillis noted that the development that is taking place in Paralimni, Ayia Napa and Deryneia is being done with rural policy, which is the Policy Statement. The largest building that someone can apply for in the Municipality of Paralimni is up to 2 thousand meters, according to the Policy Statement", he said, and wondered whether "we understand how much stagnation we bring to this place".
He also stated that "a lot of work has been done and the most tragic thing is that the Political Council has finished the work it had to do, which is the preparation of the Local Plan, they made the decisions on 29/7/2021 and from then until today , the Researcher preparing the Environmental Study expects to be given the text of the Local Plan. Two years and we're still creating a text," he said characteristically.
Asked what the authorities answer when the local authorities ask to know where the issue is, Theodoros Pyrillis replied: "we finish it and finish it and finish it".
For his part, the Mayor of Deryneia, Andros Karagiannis, said that "the publication of the Local Plan of Agia Napa, Paralimni, Deryneia is a painful issue. For several years, not only young people but also land development entrepreneurs have been waiting for this day, so that they too can build homes for young people and not only".
He added that "Derynia is the only Local Authority that makes the most of the Plan for Critical Areas and I wonder how this Plan can be used, which is in its last year of operation, as far as we know and I hope that this will be published and get an extension of time. I wonder how these young people who come back after their studies can come and use the land that their grandparents have given them", he said.
Mr. Karagiannis also pointed out that "the Local Plan must be published immediately, it cannot get another extension and I, as the Mayor of Deryneia, want to know the exact reasons why the publication of this Plan is being delayed, hindered".
It is noted that the meeting was attended by the Mayors of Deryneia and Paralimni, the Mayor Frenarous and MPs of Famagusta from all parties.
Source: KYPE