Linden is slated to benefit from a number of projects totalling in excess of $47.5M, most of which are to be executed manually by residents of 12 community development groups (CDGs) throughout Region 10.

Residents were brought up to speed with the government’s plans to tackle major drainage and irrigation works to reduce the impact of the rainy season when Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud visited on Thursday to unveil the government’s plans for the first half of this year. According to him, given Region 10’s peculiar drainage network, a number of activities have been designed to combat flooding and erosion in several areas. He said under the government’s capital work programme, $30,171,380 would be expended for the construction of control structures at West Watooka estimated at $13,568,500, construction of soak-away structures at Wismar Hill at a cost of $7,576,500, construction of control structures at Lower Kara Kara costing $6,025,700 and the construction of drainage structures at Wismar Hill, Linden at a cost of $3,009,680.  The 12 CDGs would be paid a total of $14.5M to execute maintenance works/ manual cleaning and de-silting of more than twelve drains and creeks in Mackenzie, Wismar and Rockstone.

In addition to the capital construction works, the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) has identified the Wisroc community area for major maintenance works on the scale of capital works. Owing to the scale of the maintenance works, it has been tendered through the national competitive bidding procedures for the manual cleaning and de-silting of drainage channels in the area at an estimated value of $2,538,000.

And to ensure the timely execution of these projects, the NDIA has employed the services of 25 people to join the existing corps of workers within the community D&I projects.  “We are currently improving and restructuring the community D&I projects across the country to give people much more focus on drainage work and to ensure that these individuals work,” Persaud stated.

He said that over time his ministry has been receiving complaints that some persons who were community D&I workers are also members of the CDG and have been receiving payments from both ends, which he called totally unacceptable.

“That is dishonesty and if we find that we would immediately dismiss those individuals and we would also be looking in terms of how we treat those CDGs. We are doing that because I am tired of people taking the government and people’s tax payers’ money for a ride,” Persaud said.

On the question of residents of Linden being awarded contracts for capital works earmarked for projects in Linden, Persaud explained that the government would be in violation of the laws if they were to say that certain projects were to be awarded specifically to residents of Linden. “We try as much as possible with our drainage works and the capital works that the people in Linden get the job…. Because we think if you do it, you’ll do it to your best interest,” Persaud added. It was noted that in the past large sums were spent on executing projects that turned out to be substandard. Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo was the first to take to the podium to condemn this level of work. Mingo said when the Community D&I project got started across the region, he had taken a hands-off approach since he felt that the RDC was not appropriately informed of the operations. However, this approach has since changed.

Mingo said that at the level of the RDC it has been recognised that there has been some deficiencies in the quality of work. “It’s no point we try to sweep these matters under the rug because it would come right back to haunt us… what is important is that having recognised that we have moved at the level of the RDC to ensure that the monies that have been allocated to the RDC the people get top worth for their dollars,” he explained

He informed that on Wednesday he and Regional Executive Officer Henry Rodney sought to engage the Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon to have the regional works department strengthened to ensure maximum supervision of the scope of works awarded to contractors. While commending the works being done by the NDIA, Mingo pointed to the need for a structured programme for carting away stuff after the drains and parapets are cleaned. During a brief question and answer segment, however, some persons called for the proper coordination of the D&I activities and for the coordinator/ supervisor to be more visible. Abit Ragobeer was introduced as the new coordinator/supervisor.

Additionally some persons appealed for an increase in the payment package offered to workers who now fall under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture.