President Bharrat Jagdeo has committed to allotting more money to Community Development Councils (CDCs) after they review their programmes to include providing more economic opportunities and greater community input.
National Director of CDCs Philomena Sahoye-Shury made this announcement during her closing remarks at the annual CDC conference held recently under the theme ‘Uniting Communities across Guyana.’ Sahoye-Shury had said too that CDCs must prove that they are capable and are maximising their capacity, according to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release.
GINA said there are 400 CDCs countrywide that aim to maintain a clean environment, to promote health living, education and aid in eradication of poverty. The CDCs have been working actively with Parent Teachers’ Associations, women’s and farmers’ groups and also on drainage and irrigation projects.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS) Dr Roger Luncheon said that there were some government projects which could be aided by CDCs’ involvement. He noted that they could mobilize people at the grassroots level and encouraged them to go over their programme with a view to having greater input and a lasting impact on development. The HPS said too CDCs have empowered people in several communities and government is “not going to change” a winning model. According to Luncheon, CDCs have created jobs for unemployed youth in some communities and can promote unity with their activities. However, he urged them to examine closely economic ventures as “job creation is a must” in keeping with the president’s view that village economies needed to be rejuvenated.
Meanwhile, Luncheon said that CDCs must also emphasise community rehabilitation and needed to focus discussions on that issue.
He said about $1B has been allocated at the community level for drainage and irrigation and community participation must be recognised as during a recent visit to Canal Number One Polder residents claimed that their inputs were not utilized in the design of certain projects.