(Trinidad Guardian) The spiralling crime situation in Laventille and nearby districts in east Port-of-Spain is impacting negatively on the development of those communities. This is according to Planning and Sustainable Development Minister Dr Bhoendradatt Tewarie.
As such he is making a direct appeal to the people of the volatile east Port-of-Spain region, including Laventille, Morvant and Belmont to make the communities more peaceful to allow for infrastructural development on a significant scale.
The Laventille/East Port-of-Spain region has the highest murder rate in the country and the Government has been implementing several initiatives aimed at reducing criminal activity over the past several months. Tewarie said yesterday that to residents in Belmont before opening a link road on Layan Hill. He said the community has to take responsibility for creating an environment of peace.
“If you have a place that is a war zone, you can’t have development. You need peace, you need a certain amount of order to make the development happen,” Tewarie told the residents. He added that it was only when that happens “the state will play its role and we can development the place.” Earlier Tewarie talked about the level of crime in areas of east Port-of-Spain.
One resident told Tewarie while he agreed with the comments there is still a role for the Government to play to deal with the crime problem in the specific areas. One of the more popular initiatives was the Hoop of Life which is a basketball competition across the country with the winning team receiving $1 million and the fortunes of the participating team dependent on the players having to keep a clean police record.
US basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal was brought to T&T a role model to the people of the economically depressed communities to launch the competition. And in recent months National Security Minister Jack Warner, along with acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams and Chief of Defence Staff Kenrick Maharaj have been visiting the so-called hot spots and meeting with the people of the affected areas with a view to addressing the crime problem.
Warner has also initiated a URP-type programme where the people of the communities are being employed at a rate of $69 a day to undertake certain projects which are under the direct supervision of military personnel. Later, at the ribbon cutting ceremony, Tewarie re-emphasised his point that there must be a change from a climate of conflict and tension to one of peace for development to take place.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony MP for Port-of-Spain North/St Ann’s West Patricia Mc Intosh appealed to Tewarie to influence the Government to cut the bush in the area. Mc Intosh said there were mosquitoes in the area because of the uncut bush. She said it was posing a threat to the health of residents. The MP also appealed for improved street lighting.
The projects are expected to cost in excess of $1 million. Several other projects are to be launched in coming months the T&T Guardian was told.
