The Practical Instruction Centre at Buxton will be in operation for the new school term, according to the Region Four administration.
The administration said most of its developmental projects in its 2009 work programme have been completed, according to a press release yesterday.
Regional Executive Officer Shafdar Alli said capital works are about 90% complete; the recurrent programme 97% complete; the NDC $3M subvention, 99% complete; the road maintenance programme 90% complete and the President’s Youth Choice Initiative Programme about 89% complete.
It said too, through the President’s Youth Choice Initiative (PYCI) Programme the fences at the Mon Repos Play Ground and the Buxton Playfield were repaired. Bleachers were also built at Agricola and Yarowkabra and a short fence was built at the YMCA at Thomas Lands at a cost of $10.4M. The PYCI is a huge programme funded by the Office of the President around 2000.
The region has also started building several IT laboratories, including at the Beterverwagting Community High School, under warrant from the education ministry. The work is 90% complete. Primary schools at Supply, Providence, Strathavon, Peter’s Hall, LBI, Swami Purnananda, Vryheid’s Lust, Plaisance, Enmore, Enmore Hope and Company Road were built at a cost of $37.2M.
Alli also said that much focus was given to the capital works programme which includes education, health, drainage and irrigation infrastructure, roads and bridges, with expenditure totalling $150.6M. This comprised the construction of the Practical Instruction Centre (PIC) at Buxton which started in 2002/2003 but was shelved during a serious crime wave that plagued the East Coast. The project was restarted in 2008 and, according to Alli the Centre will be operational for the new school term.
Major rehabilitation works were also undertaken at the Susannah’s Rust Primary School located along the Demerara River; the Lusignan and St Andrew’s primary schools on the East Coast and at the Silver Hill primary on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway.
The REO said a heavy-duty concrete bridge is currently under construction at Pigeon Island. It is expected to be completed by February. Alli also said upon realising that a sum of money had been saved under this programme a greenheart bridge was built at Company Road, Buxton leading to the PIC and emergency works were done to the Golden Grove School Bridge which collapsed in August.
In the health sector works were done on health centres at Cane Grove, Unity, Dr CC Nicholson Hospital and to doctors and medex quarters.
Meanwhile, Cummings Street, Buxton; North Vryheid’s Lust, Old Road, Ogle; Pay Office Street, Enterprise were rehabilitated. Also, under the road programme the finance ministry made available an additional $57M for road maintenance within the region. These works are currently in progress and should be soon completed.
As regard agricultural development, greenheart revetments were built at Cane Grove, Enmore, ECD and at Busby Dam, Craig, EBD. Canals were also excavated at Supply and Beterverwagting East Sideline.