Forest protection, upgrading of Araxos, religious tourism projects at the meeting of the Regional Council

A wide range of topics, from the protection of forests to the development of tourism and the improvement of infrastructure, will be discussed at the next meeting of the Regional Council of Western Greece, following the initiative of the regional councilors of the “Together We Change – Western Greece” faction, led by Kostas Karpeta, the announcement states and continues:

The protection of the forests of Western Greece, in fact, in view of the start of the fire season, it is a priority for the “Together We Change – Western Greece” regional faction, as the catastrophic fires in our country, in 2023, but also in previous years, require special attention, preparation and planning, from all competent bodies.

The regional councilor of Achaia Nikos Kotronias in his question, addressed to the Regional Governor and the rural vice-regional governors of Achaia, Ilia and Aitoloakarnania, he asks to know what actions have been taken to date for the preparation and prevention of forest fires, whether the necessary number of flying firefighting vehicles has been secured and if there is provision of necessary vehicles and machinery to assist in extinguishing fires and transporting citizens. Finally, he asks whether the coordination and cooperation of agencies and services has been ensured and whether there has been intervention in the Ministry of Citizen Protection for sufficient staff in the area as well.

Araxos airport, Caiaphas development and removal of parcels of solid waste from the “Potoki” area

At his request, the regional councilor of Ilia of the “Together We Change – Western Greece” faction Konstantinos Diamantopoulos raises the issue of the civil airport of Araxos and asks to know from the vice-regional governor of Tourism Development and the Regional Governor, what are the initiatives and actions that have been undertaken for the upgrade of the airport and the strengthening of its air connectivity, in order to contribute to the tourist development of Ilia and Achaia.

Mr. Diamantopoulos points out the need to upgrade Araxos airport in order to meet modern requirements and refers to the Araxos upgrade project that is part of the Regional Development Fund, according to which a study of a strategic plan for the development of air connections at Araxos airport has been undertaken.

At the same meeting of the Regional Council, the question of the Caiaphas utilization project will be discussed. Mr. Diamantopoulos, in his question, points out that the Region of Western Greece has the role of a neutral observer and does not show initiative or participation in the project, leaving the initiative to ET.AD.D. S.A. and expresses concern about the planned expansions of the project, with a budget of 12 million euros, stressing that the management of the properties by ET.A.D. S.A. it has not been coordinated with the Region and the Municipality.

Also, the question of Constantinos Diamantopoulos regarding the removal of solid waste parcels from the “Potoki” area of ​​the Municipality of Pyrgos will be discussed. Mr. Diamantopoulos, underlines the importance of taking immediate action to remove the waste from the “Potoki” area to the Triantafyllia Waste Treatment Unit and the restoration and decontamination of the area. The Regional Councilor asks if the Region will participate in the project and in what way, taking into account the commitment of the Ministry of the Environment to finance the intervention.

Delays in Religious Tourism Projects in P.E. Etoloakarnanias

The issue of delays in religious tourism projects is raised by the Aitoloakarnania regional councilor Savvas Augeris of the faction “Together We Change – Western Greece”, which will be discussed at the meeting of the Regional Council on April 24, 2024. Mr. Augeris in his question , emphasizes that five years after the start of the pioneering projects for the development of Religious Tourism in the Region of Western Greece, the delay in their completion is a concern. Especially in Etoloakarnania, many projects remain unfinished, with the problem of access to sacred monuments still plaguing the region. In fact, as reported by Savvas Augeris, according to information, the projects have not reached the planned stage of completion, with the subcontractor having settled in the Holy Transfiguration Monastery of Sotiros in Paravola from May 2022, but the project remains unfinished. The faction’s Aitoloakarnania regional councilor asks the regional Authority at what stage the specific projects are, what are the reasons for the delays and why the road connection project of the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Savior in Paravola has not been completed.

Traffic lights in Patras

Finally, at the meeting of the Regional Council, the question of the leader of the “Together We Change – Western Greece” faction, Kostas Karpetas, will be discussed, regarding the situation with the traffic lights in Patras, after the phenomena of daily malfunctioning of the traffic lights in the Achaean capital, which causes problems in vehicle drivers and pedestrians and makes the smooth functioning of the city impossible.

Mr. Karpetas in his question refers to the contract signed between the Regional Authority and a contractor, amounting to three million euros, for the maintenance and restoration of the damage to the traffic lights and asks the Regional Governor to inform about the actions of the Region, so that it is restored the orderly operation of the traffic lights of Patras”.