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– Minister tells residents A court injunction filed by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and stopping the rehabilitation of the Diamond/Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) office is the cause for a number of bad roads in that area, a government minister has said.A government team visited the area on Thursday following complaints by residents and the publication of a photo the same day on the front page of Kaieteur News.Minister Whittaker and team at Avenue Street A,Cesc Fabregas Jersey, Great DiamondResidents of that East Bank Demerara area has been complaining about the state of a number of roads, particularly in Diamond New Scheme, considered one of the largest of the new housing settlements in the country.Visiting the area Thursday were Minister in the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker and several officials.According to a government statement on the visit,Adrien Rabiot Paris Saint-Germain Jersey, during which inspections were also conducted in the neighbouring Grove,Dani Alves Barcelona Jersey, residents were told that rehabilitation of the NDC office,Christopher Nkunku Jersey, located in Grove Police Station street,Fernandinho Jersey, is tied to a bigger venture, the Community Road Improvement project (CRIP).Whittaker said that Avenue A Street, Great Diamond, would have been rehabilitated had it not been for the PNCR injunction against the rehabilitation of the NDC office.Avenue A Street is one of 12 roads that are to be rehabilitated under CRIP but a mandate of the Government of Guyana, Caribbean Development Bank project is that the work must be done in conjunction with the rehabilitation of the Grove/Diamond NDC building.However, the PNCR is contending that that building belongs to them and filed the injunction stopping the rehabilitation.The NDC was subsequently relocated to the Diamond Community Center.“The PNC has opportunely claimed that the NDC building is theirs and that is a matter before the courts, so it is impeding the kind of works that we would like to do in the area,” Whittaker said. “In the meantime people are suffering and naturally we are concerned, naturally we want this road done tomorrow, but we have to await the results of that court case.”Minister Whittaker expressed the hope that, “the PNC will withdraw its injunction so that work to rehabilitate the NDC office and build the over 4000 metres of roads in the Grove/Diamond area can take place.”Apart from the conditions of the streets,Fabio Borini Liverpool Jersey, another concern was that of streetlights as some residents claim that they had taken the initiative to erect lights but they were removed by the Guyana Power and Light Inc. The residents were advised that they could not,Jesus Navas Jersey, without the permission of the NDC, erect street lights and this may be the reason why the GPL personnel dismantled the lights as the NDC office would have to pay the cost of electricity.The residents were told that those wishing to have street lights must form themselves into groups and make proper representation to the NDC office, which would subsequent apply and pay for the service and residents will in turn pay the NDC.There were also complaints about clogged drains and residents were told that work to relieve this situation was underway.Residents were also informed that all complaints pertaining to garbage collection will be resolved following interventions made in this regards to have timely and scheduled garbage collection days for specific areas.Residents on the different streets were notified of garbage collection days. Residents of Grove also complained of the narrow and rickety bridges situated over the Jimbo Canal that allows their children access to the Golden Grove Primary. The ministry promised to facilitate a larger structure designed only for pedestrian use. |
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