Residents who had called for the upgrading of the deplorable Burma Road at Mahaicony will soon have their requests granted following the signing of the first set of contracts in Region Five.
The project, which involves the general rehabilitation of the road, will be undertaken by contractor Sheraaz Bacchus at a cost of $7.5 million.
The contract was signed at the Mahaicony/Abary Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) on Wednesday last. It is one of several projects slated to commence shortly across the region. Contracts were also signed at other NDCs; Blairmont/Gelderland, Rosignol/Zeelust, Union/Naarstigheid and Woodlands/Farm.
The De Hoop Branch Road is slated to undergo maintenance at a cost of $8.5 million by KB&B Contractors; while the second cross street and middle walk at Number 30 Public Road on the northern side will be rehabilitated at a cost of $5.4 million.
Contracts were also signed for the construction of a Diabetic Foot Care Centre at the Fort Wellington Hospital (FWH) at a cost of $7.2 million and an air-conditioned drug storage bond at Mahaicony Hospital.
Other projects include the renovation of the FWH and Mahaicony Hospital as well as health centres at Belladrum, Lichfield, Dundee, Woodley Park, Cotton Tree, Ithaca and Rosignol. There will also be repairs to several schools, including Bush Lot, De Hoop, Cotton Tree and Liberty Hall nursery, the Hopetown Practical Instruction Centre along with Abary, Karamat, Novar, Ithaca, Number 29 and Belladrum primary. In some instances there will also be repairs to fences, “infilling and landscaping works” and repairs to bridges.
Before the signing ceremony, the contractors met Regional Chairman, Bindrabhan Bisnauth at the regional boardroom. The chairman emphasized that they are expected to provide quality work within the time specified on the contract.
He also presented copies of the bill of quantities to the chairpersons of each NDC and informed them that the documents should also be distributed to Community Development Committees, farmers and religious groups for “better monitoring of the projects”.
Also present for the signing ceremonies were regional vice-chairman, Rion Peters; Regional Executive Officer (REO)/Chairman of the Regional Tender Board, Ashford Ambedkar; Deputy REO Govind Singh; engineers, Mark Gupta and Dhanpall Sukha, superintendent of works, Delton Benjamin and regional information officer, Sandie Ross-Hendricks.
