Region Eight residents continue to suffer “the daily disdain of central government” and neglect by the Local Government Ministry as without proper roads villagers struggle to meet air transportation costs and to access potable water since a three-month long water shortage.
In a press release, opposition coalition APNU said it is appalled that the PPP/Civic administration has planned another 965km holiday excursion – ‘Pakaraima Mountain Safari’ – through the Pakaraima Mountains next month while indigenous residents grapple with poor roads and 500 Paramakatoi Secondary School students have to rise in the wee hours of the morning to form “bucket brigades” to fetch water to their dormitory.
During a recent weekend visit to the villages of Paramakatoi, Bamboo Creek and Yawong Mountain Foot, a team from the party assessed the conditions there. Paramakatoi, the most populous village in the sub-region, has been without potable water for over three months owing to the non-functioning of facilities installed in late 2012, APNU said. It condemns the neglect to which the Potaro-Siparuni Region, Guyana’s fifth largest, has been subjected.
“The entire region is virtually inaccessible by road and is dependent on expensive air transport for travelling, evacuation of medical patients and cargo,” the press release said. APNU calls on the PPP/C to address as urgent priority the need for a comprehensive developmental plan and for central government to respect the constitutional role of the RDC in administering the region.
