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James Debono
In the good old days of the Soviet Union, the communist party’s mouthpiece Pravda was full of statistics celebrating the march of the proletariat to the new socialist heaven.
On Tuesday, the Nationalist party’s organ In-Nazzjon triumphantly proclaimed that 80 per cent of the submissions received by the Malta Environment and Planning and Authority were in favour of adding more land to the proposed development.
It also boasted that only 20 per cent of the submissions received were against Pullicino’s new development zones.
Yet all this could change as Astrid Vella, the leading figure in Flimkien Ghal Amjent Ahjar, has taken up the “Pravda” challenge by calling on fellow environmentalists to send their objections – and redress the balance in favour of those objecting to the new zones.
A mass email was sent to hundreds of people with a prepared letter listing the pressure group’s objections to Pullicino’s rationalisation plan.
The response to Astrid’s appeal has been phenomenal with about 1,000 people sending their objection through the group’s web site by 4:30 pm on Friday. 820 had sent their objections by MEPA’s midday deadline.
Mellieha residents have also presented a petition signed by more than 500 persons objecting to the extension of development in Qortin.
With these 1,500 new objections, the pro-development majority has surely been overturned.
Yet MEPA’s public relations officer could not confirm the final score when contacted on Friday noon. “This will only be possible on Monday morning.”
The only data available until now dates back to last Friday. By last week MEPA had received 1,000 submissions with 80 per cent requesting for more land and 20 per cent objecting.
MaltaToday has received complaints from people trying to meet the MEPA 12 o’clock Friday deadline. While some complained not receiving an acknowledgement others were experiencing problems with the MEPA server.
But the MEPA’s PRO insisted that acknowledgement is being given to everyone who makes a submission
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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