Need for rehab works at Brickdam station

- security committee finds

Following a visit to the Brickdam Police Station by members of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on the Security Sector, its Chairman Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan has said that lots of infrastructural works need to be done.

Ramjattan told Stabroek News yesterday that arrangements will be made for other stations to be visited.

He explained that it was the opposition who requested the visit to the Brickdam Police Station, which took place on Wednesday.

According to Ramjattan, committee members inspected the barrack room, lockups, the kitchen and a number of other areas. He said of much concern was the living quarters for ranks. “The barrack room is not in the best of shape,” he said, while explaining that besides the less than desirable physical surroundings, there are very few beds and mattresses.

He said that it is clear that major infrastructure work will have to be done mainly to the barrack room area. According to Ramjattan, the committee recommended that a redesign of the barrack room be done. Pointing out that the entire barrack room ought to be constructed with concrete and steel, Ramjattan said that while repairs were done several years ago, most of the wood used to build the structure is rotten.

The other committee members who visited the station were Junior Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Valarie Garrido-Lowe and parliamentarians Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, Hemraj Rajkumar and Harry Gill.