It cost taxpayers $200 million to move NCN’s transmission tower from Sparendaam to the West Demerara to make way for the development of the elite housing development, ‘Pradoville 2’ says former advisor to President Bharrat Jagdeo, Rajendra Bisessar.
Bisessar, who is now with the Alliance for Change (AFC), in a stinging attack last evening charged that the PPP has become corrupt and told a sparsely attended AFC meeting at Foulis, East Coast Demerara that “it is no longer the PPP that you know.” He said that Jagdeo wanted the land at Sparendaam and the cost of removing the transmission tower was over $200 million.
Bisessar continued that the land was a sea defence reserve and those building there, including ministers and several top officials of various agencies had not received permission to build. He noted too the regulations relating to the acquisition of house lots were not adhered to by the President.
He said that he left the PPP because of corruption and cited several examples. He also said that officials are getting kickbacks from contractors.
He told the meeting that “the PPP is no longer the PPP that you know” and said that some have left because they were marginalized. In relation to former PPP minister and central executive committee member, Moses Nagamootoo‘s departure from the party, he said that the PPP had lost its “heart.”
Bisessar spoke of plans the AFC has for the country and appealed for support. “We will cut the corruption,” he said. “Cut that navel string. Save ourselves, save our children,” he appealed.
Apart from party officials, less than a dozen adults attended the meeting though a few could be seen listening from afar. A party official said during a walkabout, they had received support but persons were afraid to come out. Speakers stressed that there was no conspiracy or plans to link with the opposition as stated by the PPP.
It was pointed out that any coalition would have had to happen before Election Day.
Meanwhile, AFC Member of Parliament, Latchmin Punalall spoke on the situation with regard to women and children and outlined the AFC’s plans for the vulnerable groups. “Our children are being abused in this nation and no one is paying any attention to them,” she said.
Another speaker, Dr Sewnauth Punalall spoke of the plans for diversifying the Guyana Sugar Corporation to make it successful. He said that molasses can be used in several ways while Guyana can be an ethanol producing country. “We will do our best at improving GuySuCo. We cannot develop this country without developing GuySuCo,” he said.
