Over two dozen residents of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara yesterday returned to the Plaisance/Industry Community Centre Ground to protest the erection of a tower at the site for the government’s e-governance project without their knowledge, while a community meeting to address their grievances is still being considered.
The protest was staged by about 25 residents who are determined to have their voices heard after not being consulted on the placement of the structure, which was initiated on the direction of the Office of the President (OP), unbeknownst to the Interim Management Committee (IMC) installed by the government to manage the affairs of the Plaisance/Industry neighbourhood.
Residents agreed that consultation should have been among the first actions undertaken in order to site the tower, but there seemed to be some differences among them about settling the matter. While some were outright against the erection of the tower, others said they were open to dialogue to find an amicable solution. In addition, some residents also complained about their inability to use the ground for major activities over the last two years since the emergence of the housing development at Sparendaam North, known as ‘Pradoville 2.’
On Sunday, objections by residents resulted in the work to erect the tower being halted.