Are children at the Aishalton dorm, Region Nine getting rice porridge thrice a day and is the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs purchasing an ambulance or a glorified minibus?
These were some of the questions that the opposition failed to elicit adequate answers on from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs yesterday but it allowed the allocations for that ministry to go through.
Minister Pauline Sukhai faced two hours of questions from members of the opposition on a number of items outlined in the estimates before both sides of the House voted in favour of the allocations.
APNU backbencher Jaipaul Sharma, in questioning the allocations under the heading land transport which allows for the purchase of minibuses, an ATV, motor cycle and ambulance asked how many minibuses were to be purchased.
Suhkai responded that two would be purchased and explained that they were to be used to transport school children. Sharma then opined that maybe “the ambulance is a minibus and it was three minibuses they were purchasing”. Following directions from the Speaker, Sharma asked if the ambulance which is to be purchased will be in the form of a minibus.
The minister responded in the negative and had a similar answer when quizzed about the presence of life support equipment on board. Sharma’s fellow opposition members were seemingly enjoying his line of questioning and were even more amused when he submitted that it was in fact a minibus.
Meanwhile Sukhai denied that she is aware that during last year students at Aishalton were fed a meal of rice porridge three times a day. Facing questions from APNU MP Chris Jones, the minister said that “Aishalton doesn’t fall under us. From time to time if there are issues with any regional dormitory …we are privy to issues that would arise over the period. I am not aware of that”.
Despite saying that she was ignorant of the issue raised, Jones continued along that line of questioning. When asked if she was aware that when the students inquired, they were told that that quality of meal was a result of the opposition budget cuts, she said “No I am not aware of that”.
When asked how much money was allocated of the Aishalton Dormitory, she noted that issue does not fall under her ministry’s estimates.
She also said that the monies allocated under the Hinterland Scholarship Programme only caters for children under the age of 18. Once they have passed that age, assistance is given to them under the Ministry of Public Service. For this year she said, her ministry is catering for 388 scholarships. The monies awarded for this scholarship caters for the students’ pocket allowance, dorm allowance, examination fees and the provision of materials for SBA projects, Government Technical Institute students and the Carnegie School of Economics students.
The Minister also faced additional questioning from other opposition members on a $6M increase in electricity supply and monies listed for the maintenance of buildings, the provision of meals and heritage day activities among other issues.
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