Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) councillors say they are being “left in the dark” about an invitation for bids for several infrastructural projects which was advertised in the PPP’s newspaper, the Mirror.
However, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ronald Harsawack denied their claims saying that the bids advertised in yesterday’s newspaper were for one of three projects that will be publicized shortly and “no one was left anywhere” since it was agreed at meetings last year that the works will be undertaken.
He also explained that in relation to questions about the cost listed for the works in Region Eight, the logistics causes the prices to be quadrupled as against costs for other areas.
“There will be two other ads so don’t let anyone rush to judge. Most of what was asked for last year is on these lists… it is the RDC budget for last year. We have tried to be open and transparent as possible and have listed the engineers with the works so that persons desirous of bidding would know how much it is… for the first time too we have made the bill of quantities available to anyone who wants to scrutinize it and even went the extra mile to give each village council one. When people say this or that let them not be quick to judge until they see all of the documents,” Harsawack told Stabroek News.
He added: “When eyebrows are raised about cost, people don’t factor in logistics. Many of the items here have to be brought in by plane because they are not accessible by truck and as crazy as it sounds, sometimes even sand we bring in planes. So what you pay for something in Georgetown you would pay four times or ten times more here.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of Region Eight Mark Crawford and Harsawack have been at odds over management styles, a matter that Local Government Minister, Ganga Persaud had said was being investigated.
The Regional Chairman is a member of the Alliance For Change which won a landslide victory in the region at last November’s general and regional elections.
Several efforts to contact Crawford for comment proved futile.
Many of the councillors requested anonymity with the exception of Mohammed Gafoor who said: “I am not afraid of being sidelined, I can understand these guys because if you talk up you come under a whole lot of problems so put me on record because I speak the truth and if the truth will hurt my job so be it.”
Councillors said they were concerned not only at the high costs listed for capital and recurrent works but that many of the works were not urgent and to them it seemed that it was just a way of making money for a few officials.
Under capital works were six items: The upgrade of the Guest House at Kato pegged at $4,997,455; Extension of Chenapau and Kurukabaru Primary schools at $8,792,750 each; Extension of the Kurububaru Health Post $8,433,590; construction of a health post at Princeville $7,425,740; and upgrade to the Mahdia Secondary School Dormitory $6,068,350.
Under recurrent works there were maintenance of three buildings, five bridges and three other works listed as “Other infrastructure”.
General repairs to three buildings listed are the R8M41 quarters with an estimate of $2.2 million; the Admin Annex, $3,560,000; and Campbelltown Guesthouse $1.5 million. Bridges listed for repairs are Princeville for $2,583,000; Kawa, $2,261,000; Kato, $3,630,000; Micobie, $4,060,000; and Mahdia $4,210,000. Repairs to the Mahdia workshop $2,170,000; Admin staff quarters fence $2,107,440; and Admin office fence $888,840 are also listed.
However, Gafoor queried: “Where there is over $2 million allocated for repairs to the Mahdia workshop, I am left questioning because we don’t even have a workshop anymore, nor have we seen a mechanic in ages… So where is this ghost workshop? Show me.”
He said there is a storeroom for equipment owned by the region and residents have been consistently asking for four outboard engines given to the region with four new boats.
In the said storeroom there are only three of the boats along with “plenty junk and some engine parts dating back to 1942,” he said.
Referring to repairs to the bridges, one senior councillor questioned the over $4.2 million allotted to the repair of a bridge referred to in the advertisement as the Mahdia Bridge.
“All the bridges in Mahdia have names so how can all the others and the monies to repair them be given and you have one for $4 million only called Mahdia Bridge? That sounds fishy to me because how will the people know which if any bridge they are talking about?” he said.
Another stated that it was not the first time that the Kawa Bridge was being advertised for repair works. He said that the reason for this was that previously on three occasions shoddy work was done by the contractors.
“Kawa Bridge every year millions gat to spend because every time somebody build it don’t stand up and when the rain fall too hard it floats away leaving a plank to walk on alone…the contractors in these parts know that no one will want to come till here to check on a bridge so they give it a lick and a promise and next year same story we deh pun,” he said.
Regarding the almost $5 million repairs for the guest house at Kato all the councillors became very vocal. They informed that it was only last year that millions were spent in rehabilitative works and the upgrade referred to was for the bathroom drainage that was not initially done properly.
Gafoor then said: “I don’t know about the upgrade of the guest house because that was done last year. What I know we spoke about and requested was that the bathrooms be fixed because the water wasn’t draining properly, if is $5 million for that then somebody getting rich.”
