The Mayor of Calaspaqrra, Jesus Navarro, and the three political parties have hit out at Alonso Torrente, leader of ARDEVAS, which opposes the modernisation of irrigations systems in Calasparra, for “not wanting to find a solution” to the bitter conflict that has set neighbour against neighbour in the town.
Alonso Torrente and his opposition group refused to enter the Casa de la Cultura, where a meeting between the parties had been arranged by the Mayor, after various documents regarding the procedure leading up to the beginning of work on the new project had been handed over to him.
As the opposition group members remained outside the main door of the building the meeting went ahead and the three political parties and the local Farmers and Smallholders Association all concurred that Alonso Torrente was “lacking in respect” by refusing to attend the meeting.
The Mayor made it clear he “holds Alonso Torrente personally responsable” for the conflict and accused him of “lying and manipulating for reason that are not obvious” and added that “the only person responsable for this current tense situation is Alonso Torrente.”
Jesus Navarro added that the modernisation project was “beneficial for Calasparra, as had been the case in numerous areas where the new system had been installed. “ARDEVAS cite the only example, Molino de Segura, where there have been problems,” he added.
Torrente criticised the delay in handing over the documents requred by ARDEVAS. He again cited the example of Molino de Segura where there had been problems with the installation of the system and confimed that on April 24 he had lodged another complaint against the procedures employed by the Comunidad de Regantes (Farmers and Smallholders Association) with the Civil Court in Caravaca.
The Mayor announced that another meeting would be arranged in three weeks “with or without ARDEVAS.”
Work on the modernisation of the irrigation systems is currently suspended awaiting a decision from the Ministry of Environment in Madrid on environmental issues raised by ARDEVAS.
