By Jeff Trotman
The Works and Buildings Committee of the Linden IMC yesterday voted to put on hold the construction of a multi-million dollar rehabilitation centre for children with special needs, one day after the sod was turned at the spot where work was slated to begin by month end.
The committee made the decision because the entire building plan had not been approved.
An elaborate turning of the sod ceremony was held on Wednesday at the proposed site of the project in Speightland next to the Egbert Benjamin Interpretation Centre in the vicinity of the cenotaph. Jacqueline James, Head of Marketing, Digicel, informed Stabroek News at the turning of the sod ceremony that the state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre was expected to cater for about sixty children in an effort to bring the level of education they receive more in line with the regular school curriculum.
James had pointed out that construction of the centre was expected to be completed by year end in time for the facility to begin functioning at the beginning of the next school term. Both the Region Ten Chairman, Sharma Solomon and Orrin Gordon, Chairman of the Linden IMC participated in the actual turning of the sod and expressed approval for the project.
Gordon opined that an immediate benefit of the project would be increased access by differently- abled children to formal education. According to him, several parents of mentally and physically challenged children tend to keep their children hidden at home because they are embarrassed to have them exposed to the general public. He said that parents would be encouraged to send their children to accrue as much benefits as they can from the state-of-the-art institution.
According to James, Digicel was moved to build the state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre following visits to the low vision unit of the Wismar Hill Primary School and the current Linden Rehabilitation Centre, which is located at Retreive.
James said that Digicel came up with the idea of one comprehensive rehabilitation centre after mulling over the options to find the best way of serving the Linden community in terms of improving the facilities for providing as equitable as possible education for the differently challenged children in the community.
However, there was one obstacle to overcome; the site that Digicel had chosen to construct the centre had already been earmarked for the construction of a Legionnaires’ building in Linden. But after discussions with the municipality, the go ahead was given for Digicel to construct the centre at its desired site with the understanding that it would assist the Legionnaires with the construction of their building at another location in the town.
However, when the Works and Buildings Committee of the Linden Town Council met yesterday, it encountered correspondence from Digicel in which the telecommunications company was asking for permission to lay the foundation of the massive structure before the architectural plan of the proposed building was approved by the relevant body of the municipality.
An irate, Orin Wilson, PPP/C councilor on the Linden IMC told Stabroek News that the four PNCR members of the six member Works and Buildings Committee of the IMC voted against any construction work being done before the entire building plan is approved.
Wilson said the Linden IMC Chairman had circulated a document to all members of the IMC asking them to state whether or not they approved of the Digicel project and most members gave their assent. “Now, the four APNU – PNCR members of the Works and Buildings Committee have voted to put the project on hold until the entire plan of the building is approved,” Wilson lamented, stating that the Works and Buildings Committee comprises six members of which two are from the PPP/C.
“These people are holding back progress in this town,” Wilson added. “They are putting on hold an important multi-million dollar project like this one where jobs will be provided for Lindeners in the construction phase and when the building is completed, disadvantaged children will stand to benefit.”
He further stated that he could not understand the logic of putting on hold the construction of the multi-million dollar state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre, which is being funded by a reputable company when there are several other buildings that have recently been constructed and others currently under construction in the town without the approval of the municipality.
