Despite a promised $11 million relief for the flood-hit residents of three villages on the East Bank of Demerara, the government is yet to deliver.
This is according to the two Chairpersons elected by the residents to speak on their behalf.
In early October last year, the door of the sluice that serves Peter’s Hall, Nandy Park and Providence villages gave away due to high tides and poor maintenance by the relevant authorities. A few weeks later, Minister of Local Government Norman Whittaker had stated that $11 million had been earmarked as intervention for the victims, saying that it should not be regarded as compensation but as a “relief.”
Maria Bailey, the Chairperson for Peter’s Hall and Providence areas, told Stabroek News yesterday that they have not received any word on the “relief” so far.
“The government or their representatives have not come to say anything to us. We are hearing through the grapevine that there will be a tax waiver but that cannot, in no way, compensate for [what] people lost here,” Bailey said.
Minister Whittaker had told Stabroek News on December 1, 2014 that affected tenants would receive material support, such as mattresses and other household items, while homeowners would be assisted by the Public Works Ministry, which would work with the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbour-hood Democratic Council (NDC) to facilitate a waiver of rates and taxes for residents.
However, efforts to contact Whittaker yesterday to inquire about the current status of the relief initiative were futile.
An agitated Bailey maintained that the government cannot make any relief proposals because it did not visit the communities to assess the damage. “They told us to take pictures of our damage and to submit them, yes, but they didn’t come to verify or anything.
And another thing, the government cannot come up and make an offer just like that. Tell me, how you can offer relief when there was no assessment being done?” she questioned.
Fannet Beresford, Chair-person for the Nandy Park area, said yesterday that persons in her community are still sleeping on the “hard, cold ground.”
“…People still don’t have a bed to sleep on. They talk about relief but we haven’t received nothing yet. I don’t know what this government doing, you know. Election coming on, though, so they might hurry up and come give we something proper…,” she added.
