Burned homes to receive direct aid
Some 150 million euros received in donations following last month’s devastating wildfires in the Peloponnese and Evia will be given to people whose homes were burned or damaged so they can rebuild their properties, the government decided yesterday. At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis it was decided that the government would not use the money for tenders as part of the reconstruction process but would give it directly to up to 1,900 families whose homes were damaged by the fires. «We will give them the money and they will build the homes themselves,» said Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias. «This is a better option than holding a tender process that would lead to big companies going there,» he added. «This will allow local builders to find work.» Souflias said that all the houses would have to have a tiled roof and a solar water heater. The aerial photographing of the burned areas is set to begin today and be concluded by the beginning of November. The photographs will be used as a guide for reforestation. Karamanlis has pledged to personally oversee the regeneration efforts and will be relieved to have seen the housing issue resolved ahead of the swearing-in of MPs today. The parliamentary speaker is due to be elected tomorrow and Karamanlis will unveil his government’s policy program on Friday. The opposition will respond over the weekend before a vote of confidence on Sunday night.
