A ministerial team visited the Indian Arrival Monument site in Palmyra Village, Corentyne on Sunday and disclosed that the governments of Guyana and India have signed a co-operation agreement for its completion.
Reporters present were also told that the monument is likely to be completed before the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s visit to Guyana later this year.
The team which visited on Sunday included Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton.
The base for the Palmyra Monument, which was being readied last year in preparation for the Indian Arrival observance on May 5th , embarrassingly collapsed in April of last year.
Reporters were told on Sunday that the reconstruction of the base is expected to start very soon. The monument itself was completed by India and just has to be mounted.
During March 2017, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, together with the Indian High Commissioner, Venkatachalam Mahalingam, had unveiled a sign board depicting the monument at the chosen Palmyra location.
Nagamootoo, during that unveiling ceremony, had told media operatives that $97 million had been allocated for the building of the structure upon which the monument would be placed. The US$150,000 bronze sculpture had been paid for by the Government of India.
Since the base collapsed, work at the site had stopped.
