Ministry pledges €150,000 for pumping stations in local communities

The Coordinating Committee of Community Presidents has announced a commitment by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy to provide €150,000 in funding to DEYAK to replace electrical control panels at the pumping stations serving the 46 communities of the Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands. The funding has not yet been formally approved, as the municipal water utility must first submit a relevant technical study.

The development follows a meeting on Wednesday 21 October attended by Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs and Corfu MP Stefanos Gikas, the ministry’s Secretary-General Fotis Mangos, DEYAK General Director Konstantinos Metallinos and a representative of the Coordinating Committee.

The meeting was preceded on Tuesday 20 October by a meeting between the community presidents, the deputy minister and the secretary-general, during which the newly established coordinating body was presented and a memorandum outlining the communities’ problems was submitted.

Replacing the electrical control panels concerns equipment essential to the safe and uninterrupted operation of the water supply pumping stations. According to the announcement, DEYAK will submit the relevant study to the ministry as soon as possible so that the funding process can proceed.

However, it has not been specified which particular ministry programme or budget line the money will come from, nor has a timetable been announced for approval, disbursement or completion of the works.

The Coordinating Committee describes the commitment as the first successful outcome of its efforts. It thanks Stefanos Gikas and Fotis Mangos for their response and says it will monitor the project’s progress until completion.

The next step rests with DEYAK, which must submit the study, and with the ministry, which must issue the funding decision that will turn the current commitment into an allocated budget.

GIORGOS KATSAITIS