(Trinidad Express) Claiming neglect by the People’s Partnership Government, residents set up burning barricades along every road leading to Point Fortin on Thursday.
The protesters said they were fed up with empty political promises, and vowed to keep the fires lit until demands are met.
Member of Parliament for Point Fortin, Paula Gopee-Scoon, who was in Grenada yesterday, said she supported the protest action.
The protest involved residents in the People’s National Movement-controlled constituencies of Point Fortin and La Brea.
Resident John David said the roads from Point Fortin to San Fernando were in deplorable conditions and blamed the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) for failing to fix the roadway after repairing water pipelines more than a year ago.
He said discussions with WASA’s acting chief executive officer, Ganga Singh, have been unsuccessful and residents were demanding a meeting with Minister of Works and Infrastructure, Jack Warner.
“We were invited to a meeting at the ministry six weeks ago, but we did not get to see Mr Warner. We spoke to a Mr Wayne Riley and he promised to get back to us in a week, but he never did,” David said.
David said residents were disappointed that Warner had no project planned for Point Fortin when he toured Union Village, La Brea, last week. “We asked him what was in store for Point Fortin and he replied that there was nothing in the pipeline for Point (Fortin) yet,” David said.
David said residents were also demanding a new hospital in Point Fortin.
“The hospital we have here is not outfitted to attend to emergency cases and many people lose their lives as a result of the hospital’s inefficiency,” he said.
