Environment and Water Affairs Minister Djevdet Chakurov lacked the authority to impose a ban on the construction in privately owned plots in the Irakli region, plot owners said.

Chakurov imposed a one-year ban on construction in the region, which features some of the last remaining wild beaches in Bulgaria. According to property owners the ban intentionally was enforced for privately owned plots in the region, Dnevnik newspaper reported.

A number of the plots feature in the plan for resort construction in Irakli approved in 1997. According to the plan the resort area was going to accommodate between 3000 and 5000 tourists.

Property owners said that ecological organisations in favour of the ban were protecting economic interests either voluntarily or involuntarily.

According to data 10 people own property in Irakli with investment purpose and nearly 50 people had inherited a terrain there.