A municipality near the southern border receives extensive improvements

Almost half a billion forints worth of improvements are underway in Békéssámson, the mayor of the Békés county village told MTI. István Annus, who is currently leading the village of more than 2,000 inhabitants as an independent, and from the autumn in Fidesz colours, said: the funds were won from the EU's Operational Programme for Regional and Urban Development (TOP) Plus.

The inland roads will be upgraded with 182 million forints, with 1,400 metres of solid pavement replacing the current dirt road on a section of Széchenyi Street that becomes impassable in rainy weather. The project is already at the public procurement stage.

In addition, the construction of the artificial grass pitch in the public park was completed, with a budget of HUF 50 million. 

The house honouring the village's young heroes is also being restored

A public tender has also been launched for the renovation of the community centre, built in 1963, with a budget of HUF 120 million. The money will be used to replace the roofing, modernise the lobby and toilets, and build a pavilion in the garden to serve as an additional community space. István Annus said that 34 million forints were also awarded under the Hungarian Village Programme, which will be used to upgrade the electrical network and heating system of the community centre.

The House of Liberty will be upgraded with HUF 50 million in energy: the external façade and the slab will be insulated, a new heating system and solar panels will be installed. The public procurement procedure is also under way, the mayor said. The House of Freedom commemorates the 20 young people from Békéssámson who, under the leadership of the late István Annus, decided in 1951 to found a secret organisation called the Hungarian Resistance Movement to fight communism, and who were sentenced to 186 years in prison in retaliation.

In addition to the above, the kindergarten, built in the 1990s, is currently undergoing a HUF 35 million renovation: the four classrooms will be given new flooring, the windows will be replaced and the toilets in the classrooms will be renewed. The works are scheduled to be completed by the start of the school year in September, said István Annus.