Members of APNU and the AFC are scheduled to be taken on a flyover of the alignment of the road to the planned Amaila Falls Hydropower Project as part of a bid by government to bring them up to date with details of the project and progress made thus far.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Leader David Granger said that a team of Shadow Ministers from this party will fly over the site this coming Saturday following constant calls for the party for such an exercise. Members of the Alliance For Change (AFC) will also be present on this flight according to the party’s leader Khemraj Ramjattan.
Ramjattan and the AFC had initially opted to stay away from such engagements with the government over the Amaila Falls Hydropower Road over the non-submittal of documents. He yesterday said however that the documents were submitted late yesterday afternoon and that his party would now begin its participatory role.
This development comes in the wake of several meetings held between government and the opposition parties who had requested that government bring them up to date with the details of the project.
He said the exercise was not a technical one, but that it was intended to afford members of his parties a visual idea of what is taking place.
Granger on Monday had told Stabroek News that APNU had met with the Government in the latest of three meetings aimed at providing the opposition with information which they say has not been made available to them until now.
Though both parties were invited to last week’s meeting, Stabroek News understands that Ramjattan explained that he had requested documents to be discussed to be supplied to him before the date of the meeting. Ramjattan said that he requested the documents to study them so as to adequately prepare for the discussions and explanations that would take place.
He said that despite promises that the documents would be provided, he did not receive any and as such opted not to attend the meeting. Ramjattan said that he later learned that the very documents which he had requested had been supplied to the APNU representatives at the meeting last Tuesday.
Nevertheless, Granger said that during last week’s meeting, Chairman of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Board of Directors Winston Brassington made presentations on the details of the project and the current status of works being undertaken.
Though last week’s meeting was the latest of three, Granger said that APNU was still to determine if they are satisfied with what has been presented to them so far.
Granger explained that the project is quite complex and includes social, environmental and several other variables.
As such, he said, much more information is needed and will be requested as the opposition seeks to become better informed.
Granger made it clear that the project will not receive any support from the APNU unless the party is satisfied that the government is providing the information which his party has requested, and will request as the process continues.
