(Trinidad Express) Two of the photos bearing the face of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar wishing the nation “a Merry Christmas and a bright and prosperous new year” were removed yesterday from the billboards on which they were placed.
Yesterday, at around midday, the images on the two billboards along the Solomon Hochoy Highway, in the vicinity of Corinth Hills were being removed. These were placed so as to be seen on both sides of the highway. The structures on which the banners were placed were intact. Not all the billboards have been cleared of the photos however as the billboards with the PM’s image on the Churchill-Roovevelt highway, in the vicinity of Aranjuez, were still in place yesterday afternoon, however.
The billboards have been a topic of discussion by citizens, some in support of the gesture, and others who consider it a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Communications Minister Vasant Bharath said the billboards cost taxpayers at least $60,000, but he also said it was not a significant amount.
Former prime minister Basdeo Panday had criticised the billboards. Opposition Senator Faris Al-Rawi also criticised them.
Yesterday Panday said: “I am one of the persons in the country who was lucky enough not to see any of those on the highway.”
Panday said: “The taking down of the banners, I think it is an admission of several things. They were illegally constructed, State money was used when it ought not to have been used and it was an attempt to engrave the Prime Minister for the upcoming election because the party knows the rest of ministers are not desirable.”
He added: “Whoever put them up should be prosecuted for violating the law. The government should not encourage a violation of the law. And $60,000, I would like to know why it cost that. Did it improve labour?”
Last week, acting Director of Highways in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure Colin Nakhid said no permission was given for the billboards to be placed along the Solomon Hochoy Highway and the Uriah Butler Highway.
He said only traffic safety signs were allowed alongside roads, and billboards could only be placed on private property without the State getting involved.
Another ministry official told the Express any structure that goes up along the highway must have the Director of Highways’ approval. The official said it could not be confirmed whether the billboards were erected within the legal limit.
The official said:”It is not that we target any one person or anything. Through our routine maintenance, we will go out and look and see if there is anything in the road reserve illegally and then we take the necessary measures. They (district engineers) do usual surveying of the highway, so when people are advertising for parties and stuff like that, we normally take them down because those are illegal structures. It is the same concept.”
Works and Infrastructure Minister Dr Surujrattan Rambachan had defended the billboards, saying the critics were envious of the Prime Minister’s popularity.
Leader of the Congress of the People (COP) Prakash Ramadhar also spoke in support of the banners.
On Saturday, ministry officials said they were not aware if any directive from the ministry was given to have the billboards removed. However, they said, the police can give instructions to have illegal road structures taken down.
Efforts to contact Government Ministers Roodal Moonilal, Suruj Rambachan and Vasant Bharath proved futile.
