Industry/Plaisance residents protest over gov’t interference in NDC

-Corlette objects to overseer transfer by ministry

The residents of Plaisance, Industry and neighbouring villages along with members of the Plaisance Sparendaam-Goedverwagting Develop-ment Association (PS-GDA) yesterday protested central government’s interference in the running of their communities.

“This is a red flag that it’s all about money and not concern about the residents and [the fact that] they are poor people,” PS-GDA President Joseph Benjamin among protestors in front of the Industry/Plaisance Neigh-bourhood Democratic Coun-cil (NDC).

This resident displays a placard asking for the pond to remain untouched

The residents said that they are dissatisfied with the impoverished state of their communities and wanted them restored to their original beauty and for central government to stop imposing itself on local authorities responsible for the communities’ affairs.

Benjamin said the protest was set off by a number of irregularities, while adding that for a long time the community has tolerated the imposition of central government which has been doing a number of things without consulting the NDC. And residents were tired of it, he said, and were voicing their concerns.

Some of the concerned residents displaying their concerns on placards as they protested

A resident, Aubrey Hutson, said he was concerned about the illegal use of the village’s land, and especially an area earmarked for a cemetery that is transported property and controlled by the NDC. He said the land has been sold to some private investors who have been constructing buildings there, minimizing the capacity of the cemetery, and he believed there would soon be a “burial situation.” He said the plot of land belonged to the Zoar Congregational Church and was earmarked for a burial ground.

The residents added that there was a pond, which was a main drainage source in the area, but it has been filled to accommodate a wash bay, set to open soon. However, they are being flooded because the water has nowhere to go.

One of the buildings that was erected on the land that was earmarked for the cemetery

The residents say they are also concerned about the management of the community because the NDC was there just as a formality; it has no power to control the affairs of the area. They added that Pradoville 1 and Pradoville 2 were imposed on the community, with extensive work being done while the NDC was never consulted nor were the plans for the structures being erected on the cemetery approved by the council.

According to Benjamin, the most recent burden was the decision to force residents to pay an additional $1,000 to their rates and taxes for garbage collection. The decision, according to Benjamin, is seen as a sinister move to garner resources from the poor people to run central government.

“…the additional burden supersedes the normal rates and taxes by 200% and we are also concerned about the unilateral decision to remove the overseer and send her to Beterverwagting so that they can put someone [in place to carry] out their agenda,” he added, referring to the removal of Overseer Christine McDurban.

A section of the pond that was filled to accommodate the wash bay

Objecting to the transfer of overseers in the region, Region Four Chairman Clement Corlette yesterday wrote Minister of Local Government Ganga Persaud requesting a meeting on the “arbitrary transfer” of overseers within the region’s NDCs.

In the letter to Persaud, released by the Office of the regional Democratic Council (RDC) yesterday, Corlette said “Region 4 is concerned that the actions of your Ministry seems to be high-handed, void of salient reasons, is being carried out without reference to views” of the RDC.

Efforts to contact Persaud for a comment yesterday were unsuccessful.

Corlette characterised the move as a “flagrant violation” of the state paper 4/1980 on the purpose and responsibility of RDCs in the ten administrative regions of Guyana, which was approved by the National Assembly.

“Sir, Region 4 is not satisfied that your Ministry can enforce the orders of transfer under the Permanent Secretary signature using Sec. 13 and 14 of Cap. 28:02 [the Municipal and District Councils Act]. And further, his reference to Sec. 13 & 14 Cap. 28:02 may be a gross violation of or an attempt to abuse the intentions of the specific powers of the Minister,” he added.

Corlette further reminded that a number of the ministerial powers under the Act have been allotted to regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 more than 25 years ago. In the absence of a government order to rescind the devolved powers, he said the ministry would be acting in “bad faith” to usurp the region’s authority to appoint and dismiss overseers.

To address the situation, Corlette proposed a meeting to be held next Tuesday at the ministry.