A new executive was elected to head the Bush Lot Community Development
Committee (CDC) which would now have responsibilities for the entire village instead of just the new housing scheme.
The meeting, held recently at the Bush Lot Secondary School to resuscitate the CDC was convened by National Director of CDCs, Philomena Sahoye-Shury.
Residents made a request for the upgrading of streets, especially the Bush Lot Middle Dam which is the main access for students of the nursery, primary and secondary schools. They also made a request for streets to be renamed and for bridges to be upgraded.
Lachmin Azeez was re-elected to serve as the chairperson of the CDC while Fazal Habibullah would serve as vice-chairman. Other persons who were elected are Salima Yacoob, secretary; Jewanram Khaderu, treasurer; Liloutie Nipikra, secretary-treasurer along with five committee members.
The members of the CDCs were reminded of their mandate to ensure that there is equitable access to manual labour and other micro projects for unemployed persons – “from needlework to general construction of roads, drains and buildings.”
In an invited comment, Azeez said that when she took over as CDC chairperson in 2005 the housing scheme did not have any proper roads, water or electricity.
During her stint, she said she signed a contract with SIMAP for the construction of seven roads and for a “koker to be put down.” The CDC also installed conduits, before the roads were built, for residents who were yet to move in to the scheme. That was done, the chairperson said, to prevent those persons from “breaking up the road” later.
She said she also advocated for electricity and the same year wrote to the Un-served Area Electrification Programme (UAEP). She said the CDC received a response from the UAEP that the project would have commenced soon. Two years later the scheme was still in darkness and Azeez said she wrote to Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds. He responded a few days later, stating that Bush Lot had been “sequenced for electricity” under the UAEP and that the Guyana Power & Light was at the time “conducting the related preparatory works…”
The letter stated that procurement of required materials and works would have been conducted in the first quarter of 2008 and physical construction was projected to commence by mid 2008.
However although the work never got started until April this year, residents are elated that their dreams of having electricity in their homes would finally become a reality.
So far, she said, the poles have already been installed the utility company is waiting until 50% of the residents complete paying for the service to connect the power.
Also present at the meeting was a representative of the Union/Naarstigheid Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Sherfana Pryce.
An invitation was also extended to regional chairman Harrinarine Baldeo.
