It is a great satisfaction for all of us every time a development project in the countryside is completed and that is why I am happy to be back today, after only seven months in Tochni, to inaugurate another development project, the Tochni-Kalavasou road.
This is the fourth project in a row to be completed in these two years, following the creation of the community sports park, the restoration of the T/C school for use as Community Buildings, as well as the upgrading of Tochni's village road, "Kourtzia".
The Tochni-Kalavasou road, which we are inaugurating today, has a total length of approximately 1.6 km. The road upgrading works were started by a crew of the Larnaca District Administration in June 2021 and the first phase was completed in October of the same year. The works continued in March 2022 and were completed in May 2022.
The road improvement includes, among other things, the construction of a roundabout and sidewalks, reconstruction of the road, laying of asphalt concrete, line marking and installation of boundary markers. The total cost of the expenditure amounted to €420,652.00 and was entirely covered by state budget funds.
This is a project of great transport importance, since it connects the community of Tochni with Kalavaso, which is only 2 km away. It is expected to significantly help the residents of the two communities in their daily commutes as well as locals and tourists visiting the two communities.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In recent years, the community of Tochni has been changing its appearance with projects and interventions. The common denominator is the love, interest and passion of the Local Authority, the residents and the state.
In addition to these projects, soon, with the completion of the major project for the landscaping of the riverbed of the river "Kamara" of Tochni, we will give a new image of revitalization of the traditional core, which will contribute greatly to the preservation and promotion of the cultural and natural heritage of our place, with the project to be completed within the last quarter of the year 2022 and its cost will be around €2 million. It is one of the largest infrastructure projects that have been carried out in recent years in the province of Larnaca, which will add another landmark to the community, contributing to its further development as an agritourism destination, due to its remarkable traditional architecture, the Byzantine church of Agios Konstantinos and Eleni and the many agritourism infrastructures that operate in the community.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The creation of development and infrastructure projects, especially in the countryside, is a primary objective of the Government, which continues to actively support local government by focusing on its goals for progress and prosperity.
Committed to the announcements of the President of the Republic and guided by the necessity of supporting the countryside and revitalizing our mountain communities, we have proceeded as a Government to plan and promote actions and infrastructure projects that encourage development and contribute to reducing the phenomenon of urbanization.
To this end, the Ministry of Interior last March re-launched the revised housing plans, which have been successfully implemented by the Government since 2019. To date, around 630 applications have been subsidised at a cost of around €22 million. This shows the commitment to the vision of the Government's policy to revitalize and modernize the local rural and mountainous communities, and to make the new Plans more friendly, accessible and attractive to the public, we have made significant revisions to the criteria and increased financial incentives.
I am confident that the young people of Tochni in particular will benefit from the considerable financial assistance provided by our plans, which is up to €75,000. The Ministry of Interior is at everyone's disposal for any assistance and clarification.
Dear all,
At this difficult time, raising funding from European sources and European programmes is an important priority for the Government. I would like to inform you that with the new programming period 2023-2027 under the Rural Development Programme, we will absorb additional European resources for development projects in municipalities and communities in mountainous areas and in our countryside.
As part of the planning for the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027, as the Ministry of Interior, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment and the CMOAP, we are promoting additional projects focused mainly on the areas of employment promotion, social inclusion, local development in rural areas, as well as the promotion of entrepreneurship.
The aim is to squeeze every last cent from the resources allocated by the European Commission for rural infrastructure projects. To date, the absorption rate of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 has reached 93% and €13.9 million of the €15 million allocated to the Ministry of Interior has been recovered. With the completion of the projects, it is expected that we will reach 100% absorption rate.
In addition, another Call for Applications is underway, for projects to revitalize rural communities and which concerns the renovation of public spaces (such as squares and parks), and Municipal/Community Markets. The deadline for submission of applications is 20 May 2022, with an available budget of €7 million.The call is addressed to all Local Authorities (Municipalities and Communities), which are not included in the Local Urban Plans of the cities (Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol, Paphos).
In conclusion, dear ones, I could not fail to mention the reform of Local Government, from which citizens will begin to reap the benefits, in a context of more developed and higher quality local communities, after the 2024 Local Authority elections.
We have entered the transition period and the Ministry of Interior has already undertaken the coordination of actions for the implementation of the three pieces of legislation. Especially for communities, as you know, 30 local service clusters are being created with their own legal personality. The purpose of these clusters is for the community councils participating in each cluster to cooperate and co-operate, providing common services to residents, such as managing the collection of dog waste, promoting actions for the planning and implementation of integrated projects, providing accounting services, health services, traffic regulation services and others.
The community of Tochni belongs to the Vasilikos service cluster. It has been included together with 7 other communities of the region (Zygi, Kalavasos, Mari, Maroni, Tochni, Choirokoitia, Psematismenos and Agios Theodoros), achieving sufficient population density, as well as geographical connectivity and unity which will allow better and higher quality services to be provided to residents at lower costs.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that the existing cooperation between the Communities of the Vasilikos area is a remarkable example of cooperation with the consequent benefits, such as those that the new framework of local government seeks to highlight. The communities in the area are demonstrating that joining and joining forces can be an important tool for the progress of our local communities, and for this you are an example to follow.
Through the Local Government Reform, your existing cooperation between the Communities of the Vasilikos area will be able to be further strengthened and developed, focusing on you, the rural residents, for even more efficient utility services, better service to you, but also for a more sustainable and sustainable development.
On the occasion of my presence here today, I would like to assure you that, these local clusters will be reinforced with additional staff, which aims to meet the increased demands and needs arising under the new operating regime of the local clusters that are being created. The Ministry of Interior has already started with the approval of requests for staffing of the communities in order to create the right and necessary structures that will enable the delivery of quality services to their residents.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are confident that the road we are inaugurating today and delivering to the local stakeholders and residents of the community and the surrounding area will be utilized and will deliver the best.
At this point, I would like to thank all those who worked for the implementation of both this project, the Officers of the Government Departments/Agencies involved and all the contributors, and at the same time congratulate them warmly for the excellent result. I would especially like to thank the Prefect of Larnaca, who played a key role in its implementation.
Special thanks to the friendly Chairman of the Community Council Pantelis Charalambous, as well as to the members of the Tochni Community Council for their efforts for the continuous progress and upgrading of the Community. With their goal-oriented and visionary approach, they have not only elevated the picturesque Community of Tochni into a unique village of historical, cultural and religious interest, with unchanged physiognomy and special characteristics, but are slowly making it a successful, sustainable and active Community, with prospects and opportunities for even more growth and prosperity for its residents.
In closing, I want to assure you of the Government's continued interest and that we will always be at the disposal of the Community Council on matters relating to the further progress and prosperity of your community.
(EFYs)
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