Dear Editor,
There are some issues that I would like to bring to the fore concerning the works of the BV/Triumph NDC. Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall, after his visit of July 7, 2022 to the community, rightly determined that there is need for an audit of the NDC’s performance. We are still awaiting that audit. When the Minister was here, based on his post meeting utterings on the sidelines, I considered it necessary to share with him a document which a group of us had intended to send to the Local Government Commission. This I made known to the others who contributed to that document, and they all felt it would be a positive move. In confidence, I sent it to the Minister, without revealing the identity of the others involved in its creation.
On Thursday July 21, 2022 at the Council’s statutory meeting, I was confronted with the reality of the being who performs the duty of the Minister of Local Government. Mr. Dharamlal could have sent the document or elements of it to the NDC to enquire as to the veracity of the allegations within, however, he chose to send the document to the Chairman, informing him of its source to demonstrate that I have been pedaling ill will against the Chairman and Council, in the words of the Chairman. Among the issues raised in that document were the allegations of the sale of private lands, among which is the soured John Fernandes – Section G debacle; poor quality of works done by contractors to the Council as demonstrated in a state of the art basketball court; apparent land grabbing by Councillors as demonstrated in the flawed distribution of house lots in the New Generation Housing Scheme; lease of roadways, as demonstrated by the Lease of Bata Road to Gafoors, and the northern extension of Agriculture Road to one Mr. Mohamed.
The incidences of blatant violations of the Village By-Laws with respect to buildings as exemplified by JB Supermarket, Smiling Supermarket and a new structure at the Railway Embankment, between Surat Dive and Railways Street. At that meeting I was asked to apologise to the sitting members of the Council. On refusal to do so, a motion was moved for me to be suspended by Councillor Cumberbatch, since I failed to apologise, and seconded by Councillor Tekchand. The Chair struck his gravel and pronounced ‘Councillor McRae, you are suspended for 3 months’. In all that was going on, I requested that at least they enumerate the violations I committed in sharing that document with the Minister. The Chair did not take cognizance of my request and carried on with his meeting.
It has always been my intention to attend the next Statutory meeting of the Council, since in my opinion the suspension act as performed by those controllers of the NDC is intrinsically flawed, and I would be challenging it in the court of law if perchance I am debarred from participating in the Council’s deliberations in the coming months. I am writing this letter on the eve of the next Council meeting. Until now, I am not been the recipient of the minutes of last month’s meeting, a clear indication that the intention is for me not to participate in tomorrow’s meeting. However as one of the representatives, I’ll be at the table.
Sincerely,
Elton McRae
Councillor BV/Triumph NDC
