Dear Editor,
One gets a good feeling when there are announcements, and the realisation, of plans and developments which benefit the people of Guyana.  I must say that I had such a reaction to the President’s recent revelations that funding had been secured for the extension of the four-lane highways on the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara to Golden Grove and Timehri respectively.  On reflection, however, two thoughts came to mind.  Firstly, I wondered whether, as regards the East Bank, it would have been better to construct an alternative road to Timehri, as I believe had been once contemplated.

Secondly, I observed that the rehabilitation of the Soesdyke/Linden highway, which from reports has deteriorated considerably in the last umpteen years, did not find a place on the President’s list.  In this connection, I seem to recollect that that highway as well as the East Bank Demerara Road (there may have been other roads) were among projects for which finance had been secured by the Desmond Hoyte administration. Work on the Soesdyke/Linden highway was not however undertaken by the incoming Cheddi Jagan administration for a reason I do not recall.  Be that as it may. I do suspect that the people of Linden and all others who use the highway would welcome its upgrading.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds occupies a seat in Parliament on behalf of a Linden constituency. Thus as someone who practised his profession in Linden for several years and who now has electoral constituents there, the Prime Minister should be at least doubly moved to use his considerable influence to ensure that the Soesdyke/Linden highway is rehabilitated as a matter of priority by local funding, if necessary.

When the Prime Minister undertakes this mission, as I am confident he would, I hope he is good enough also to attend to the issue of Linden having access to an independent radio station.  The foregoing matters have nothing to do with national elections.

Yours faithfully,
Rashleigh E Jackson