The plant shop erected on the government reserve just outside of Pigeon Island on the East Coast of Demerara, has now been ordered by the Ministry of Local Government and the Better Hope NDC to be dismantled by the end of this week.
On Sunday when this newspaper contacted the chairman of the Better Hope Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Zaman Shaw, he had said that the matter was brought before the council which did not object to the building of the plant shop by owners, Phulmatie Budhram and Seudayal Singh. However, he said that the owners were also told that construction could only begin once permission was granted by the Ministry of Public Works. Both Shaw and Budhram claimed that while no written letter of permission was granted, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, called Shaw on speaker phone in the presence of Budhram who was at the time in the minister’s office, to say that the building of the plant shop could commence. Edghill when contacted on Sunday by Stabroek News vehemently denied that permission was ever granted.
Shaw who was again contacted yesterday by this newspaper said that because there was no written permission by the Ministry of Public Works, the decision to allow the erecting of the structure had to be rescinded.
“At this time, we are not aware of any other part of the NDC that may be suitable for her to relocate to,” Shaw had added.
Budhram in a telephone interview said that yesterday, a NDC councillor presented her with letters from the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, ordering her to dismantle the plant shop. Shaw said in light of the order, the NDC council, in trying to be compassionate towards the woman, had given her until the end of this week to do so.
She also said that yesterday she made her way to the Ministry of Local Government hoping to meet with Dharamlall. She said that the security guard after taking her name went into the office and upon returning told her that the minister was scheduled to be in meetings all day. Budhram said she told the security guard that she’ll wait. The guard then took her into the building for her to sit and wait. The woman added that she also asked to speak with the Minister within the Ministry of Local Government, Anand Persaud, who she claimed had initially been supportive of her. Budhram said within five minutes of making this request, she was told by the guard that she needed to leave. She said she then told the security that she would wait at the guard hut instead but was further told that orders were for her to leave the compound and she was subsequently escorted out.
Stabroek News also spoke with a resident of Pigeon Island, Vishal Raj, who said that he was one of three partners in Budhram’s business. Prior to yesterday, his name had not been mentioned. Raj, who operates a chicken business from his residence said that Budhram is his aunt and since she was allowed to build her plant shop on the reserve, he decided to join her in the business.
He said that a number of residents who signed the petition to have Budhram removed from the spot, reached out to them yesterday following the publication of a news item in Monday’s Stabroek News. He said that they related that they signed the petition as they were told it was for sanitation of the community. However, on Sunday when Stabroek News met with three of the residents who had signed the petition, they acknowledged putting their signatures on the petition for the plant shop to be dismantled. Raj now plans to have at least a hundred Pigeon Island residents sign another petition requesting that the plant shop not be dismantled. The man also said that they are willing to look for a new spot since the government will cover all moving expenses. However, he added that if the shop is broken down, he and other residents of Pigeon Island plan on protesting for Pizza Hut situated nearby to be relocated as it is also on the government reserve.
The matter came to public notice after residents of Pigeon Island drew up a petition on Wednesday, December 2 urging Edghill to intervene and stop the construction. The petitioners also copied their letter to Minister of Local Government, Dharamlall and Shaw. The petition was also sent to the media.
The petition highlighted a number of reasons against the construction of the shop, including the fact that there were already two residents on the island with plant businesses. The petition also said that chemicals would be sprayed on the plants and this would affect the Pizza Hut situated across from the plant shop. Furthermore, staff from Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) had expressed concern over the location of the plant shop as GWI has a control valve within the vicinity, which if damaged could affect residents of not only Pigeon Island but those living in Chateau Margot, Success and La Bonne Intention.
The plant shop was erected two Sundays ago after Budhram’s other shop on the Railway Embankment and Agriculture Road was torn down two Fridays ago by persons from the Beterverwagting NDC, the same NDC Budhram alleges gave permission for her to build almost two years ago. The woman said she operated her business from the first plant shop for approximately one year and eight months before the residents of Agriculture Road also complained earlier this year of her business being situated on the government reserve forcing her to have to relocate.
