The government’s nationwide infrastructure development programme continues with construction soon to begin on a 1.2-kilometre stretch of road in White Water Village, in the Mabaruma sub-district of Region One, a Department of Public Information (DPI) release informed last Saturday.
The DPI stated that close to 50 skilled and unskilled residents, both men and women, will be employed directly by the Minis-try of Public Works on the project as labourers, sawmen, guards, welders and clerks. It added that the project, which totals some $200 million, will see close to $20 million being poured back into the community from labour costs within a three-month period.
The release said that during a community meeting on Saturday at the White Water Primary School, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill stressed the importance of the government ensuring that equal opportunities are brought to residents both near and far.
“Initially, we wanted to establish four teams and that will see us hiring just over 40 people from the community to be involved in the construction of the road… And we are looking to see if we can hire more people. Because one of the things is, when we do these programmes, we want to empower the community and the money must circulate within the community,” the minister was quoted as saying.
The release said the residents will be issued petty contracts to ensure that they are held accountable for their labour. It added that Edghill encouraged the residents to adhere to the working conditions that will be established so that the project could be executed within the specified timeframe.
“The same wages that we pay to unskilled labourers in Georgetown will be paid to the unskilled labourers here. The same wage that we pay to skilled persons in Georgetown or anywhere else, is the same that we will pay to people here. You will not get anything less,” Edghill was quoted as saying.
Additionally, the release said, the minister noted that preparatory work for the concrete road was expected to begin today by the ministry’s Special Project Unit which will also spearhead the entire road project. So far, initial work from the ministry’s surveyors has already been completed.
Preparatory work such as the alignment of the road, relocation of existing pipelines, and grading and widening of the road to about four or five feet will commence, the release said. Expansion of culverts will also be done and all of this is expected to be completed within the next three weeks, it added.
“We were looking at a 15 feet wide road, but I am advised that the request from the community is to do 20 feet. So, we will build the 20 feet…To ensure the quality of the concrete, we will be buying the concrete mixed from a supplier because the road must have a certain quality,” the public works minister was quoted as explaining.
According to Edghill, work will be done simultaneously on the various sections of the road to boost efficiency, the release stated.
Meanwhile, the DPI said, senior engineer within the ministry Colin Gittens explained that one of the thickest types of BRC reinforcement mesh will be used to ensure the sustainability of the road.
“So, there are different types of BRC fabric, the number 65 which is the thicker gauge and the number 210 is the very thin gauge. We are using the number 65. That will be placed in the middle of the concrete, and we will be using steel rods wherever we will be joining,” the engineer was quoted as explaining to the residents.
The road project is the result of a commitment made by President Irfaan Ali during his visit to the region earlier in the year, the release added.
