PASOK leader speaking with farmers, local government in Larissa about flood restoration

PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) Nikos Androulakis met on Sunday with production representatives in Larissa, as part of a tour in Thessaly to see the restoration works in the region most affected by floods.

He also discussed the party's proposals for Thessaly's economic and production restoration, stressing the need to invest in prevention measures and in infrastructure that can deal with new climate change data.

One proposal he said he made to the prime minister was for a task force that will work like those used in the preparations for the Olympics in Greece to guarantee speedy resolution of issues, transparency, and effectiveness. Relevant ministers, regional governors, local government members, and civil society, chambers, and scientists could all participate, he added.

"The state is unable to incorporate scientific evidence in prevention actions, which is what specialized scientists revealed" in a PASOK meeting in Alexandroupolis last week, Androulakis said, while he also cited as example the Dadia forest, saying that "for seven years, the prefectures with the highest drought conditions in Greece were Evros and Rodopi - therefore, for the last seven years, nature was warning us."

Producers expressed their concerns and proposals, while the new regional governor of Thessaly, Dimitris Kouretas, said the primary sector needed to be supported "so that Thessaly's farmers do not become fishermen" and needed guarantees that the projects would be carried out on schedules.

Androulakis said Thessaly was a priority for the party, adding that, symbolically, all 32 of its deputies 'are from the consistuency of Thessaly'.