Dear Editor,
The roads in the Herstelling New Scheme were constructed to the tune of $55 million. However, it was observed by the residents that shoddy and substandard work was done and this was brought to the attention of the Officers at the Sugar Industry and Labour Welfare Department at Guysuco, the body overseeing and financing the project, but it fell on deaf ears.
Now the roads are breaking up and no one is paying any attention, not even the contractor who we understand was supposed to be doing maintenance.
I wish to point out that before the construction works began, the residents formed a committee with the Neighbourhood Development Council (NDC) members present to organize fund raising and other activities. A fund raising activity was done and the committee decided the funds collected would be spent on projects to be identified in the community. The residents have now approached the committee member who was entrusted with the fund raising monies to assist with the road repairs before further deterioration but no money has been forthcoming.
We ask the relevant authorities and the NDC to look into this matter to assist us to do the necessary repairs on the roads.
Yours faithfully,
M. Chetram, R. Persaud, Ragobeer, Rajcoomar and eight others
R. Samuels
Editor’s note
We receive letters from readers all over the country about poorly constructed roads. It had been suggested earlier that the government should blacklist contractors who had done bad work but nothing seems to have been done.