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Simon Calls on Chovan to Stop Dubious Last-minute Land Transfers
Wednesday 30 June 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, June 30 (TASR) - Outgoing coalition party LS-HZDS wants to use the final moments after the parliamentary elections to "do something big", said Most-Hid vice-chair Zsolt Simon at a briefing on Wednesday.
"In state forests (state-run forestry company Lesy SR), contracts with the Czech Republic are being signed concerning wood supplies with a penalty clause for one hour of delay," said Simon. "Everybody knows that no train or lorry can arrive at a factory with to-the-minute timing," he added.
"When I look at the State Veterinary and Food Authority (SVPS) ... in the very last days [of their tenure] they're trying to find companies to take care of gardens, replace windows ... they simply want to spend the last amounts of money available. It's not enough for them to have two security services instead of one," he added.
"As far as the Slovak Land Fund (SPF) is concerned, I would like to call on its general director and the committee not to sign contracts for land rentals that were terminated by SPF last year, and not to give land to the patrons of this governing Coalition," said Simon. He thinks that something illicit is going on now because as of Thursday (July 1), agreement from the agriculture and environment ministers will not be needed for contracts and allocations of land in protected areas, with the two ministries merging as of that date.
According to Simon, land transfers are being planned in state forests and in the High Tatra mountains, with several hundreds of hectares going to ski resorts in Tatranska Lomnica (Poprad region) and Demanovska dolina (valley) in Zilina region. Simon pointed out that the new zoning system for the High Tatras hasn't been completed yet, so nobody can predict which areas will be protected and which won't.
"I want to call on Agriculture Minister Vladimir Chovan to stop such proceedings," added Simon.
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