President David Granger on Saturday promised residents of Kortberaad, East Bank Berbice that he will provide the material for them to construct bus sheds and support the desilting of trenches in the community in order to improve drainage, even as he encouraged them to engage in self-help projects.
In a statement, the Ministry of the Presidency said Granger encouraged the residents to practise self-help to accomplish projects that would benefit the entire community. Granger met with residents on the streets of the village during his visit to East Berbice-Corentyne after he was told that the residents there had a number of concerns that they wanted to discuss with him.
Chairman of the community’s leaders committee Bernadette Douglas, along with other residents welcomed the impromptu visit with dance and song but wasted no time listing a litany of problems that they need help with, indicating that residents of Kortberaad have felt neglected for many years, the statement said.
These included drainage works, land demarcation, the construction of bus sheds, the inclusion of the community in the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), the development of pasture lands for cattle rearing and a number of other issues.
In response, Granger, described as a “firm advocate of communitarianism,” said that while the small projects, such as the construction of the bus sheds and desilting of the trenches, would receive immediate support, the community must take ownership of them.
“As far as the projects are concerned, I will help you to help yourself. I can provide all the materials if you want to build the bus sheds, but you have a lot of able-bodied men here so I will help you to get the materials, whatever you need, [and] I will depend on you to do the construction. Similarly, with the canals and the road shoulders, whatever it is; if you need the tools, I will help you, but you have people here who can do that. I am not going to spoon feed you. We are aiming to finish the sheds and the cleaning before May 26 so that’s three months to work with,” he was quoted as saying.
Minister of State Joseph Harmon indicated that $10 million would be committed to community work even as he echoed the President’s comments.
“We have heard your complaints and we are going to do whatever possible to help you, but it is a cooperative effort. We can provide some resources, but the community would have to help. Under the Community Infrastructure Rehabilitation Programme, I understand that there are some funds left in that programme so we are going to see how we can free up that money so that some of the things that you want done here can be undertaken,” he said.
According to the statement, Granger committed that where those funds are not sufficient, his office will ensure that funds are available for those community projects.
With regard to the surveying of household lands and allocation of pasture for cattle to graze, the Minister of State, within whose purview the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) falls, said that the matter will be looked into.
“We would have to go back to the books. We just cannot move lands from place to place so let a representative from your community make contact with me and I will provide the necessary information,” Harmon said.
In response to the issue of inclusion of Kortberaad Village in an NDC, it was noted that moves are afoot by the regional administration to ensure that this is done. The President and the Minister of State expressed a willingness to work with the community for explore the completion of other self-help community projects, the statement said.
