City Hall has ordered that all construction work being conducted at 81-82 Robb and Camp streets cease until such time as the developer has received appropriate permission from the City Engineer’s Department.
Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday, Town Clerk Royston King said that investigations at City Hall have shown that the owner of the building Rizwan Naim Khan has not applied for permission from the council to erect any structure at that location.
“He has no permission to build and so he has been directed to cease all works as of yesterday (Wednesday),” King said.
Khan who is the owner of the Discount Store on Regent Street and the TelePerformance building opposite the present construction site is the owner of a 20,000-square feet building previously located at that site. That building which he had brought from Kissoon’s two years ago went up in flames in July of this year.
Almost immediately after the fire, the site was cleared of the rubble from the burnt building and a large number of piles were driven as part of the foundational works.
In November the site became the subject of an investigation by the Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour after a crane collapsed while lifting a log on October 25. No one was injured.
Minister within the Ministry of Social Protec-tion Simona Broomes had told Stabroek News that after investigation the site’s management had been informed about several labour violations including failure to report the accident, the absence of records for wages and annual leave as well as a lack of safety and first aid provisions for workers.
Yesterday, King told Stabroek News that this move is to be replicated throughout the city.
“There are several building being erected without the knowledge and permission of the M&CC and we intend to stop this. There must be some semblance of order in how we undertake construction within the boundaries of Georgetown. The new year will see the City Engineer’s Department visiting all these sites and where necessary stopping works until such time as appropriate permissions are sought and/granted,” King said.
