The Couva Carnival Committee has received a major boost for its activities for next year's Carnival celebrations, with the assurance that it will receive an increase in its allocation from the National Carnival Commission (NCC). This guarantee was given by NCC vice chairman, Don Sylvester, at the 2011 Prize Distribution and Appreciation Function which was held at the SIS auditorium, Pt Lisas, Couva, last Sunday.
"Couva Carnival has grown tremendously in recent years, and I want to assure the Couva Carnival Committee that you will get an increased allocation in 2012 that will match the excellence of your celebrations," Sylvester said, to lusty applause from the packed hall. He congratulated the committee, headed by Ramchand Rajbal-Maraj, for making Couva Carnival one of the best organised in Trinidad.
Member of Parliament for Couva South, Rudy Indarsingh, pledged his support to the committee and appealed to the business and corporate sector to play a bigger role in funding the celebrations.
Rajbal-Maraj, who bemoaned the lack of meaningful support from the large corporations operating at Pt Lisas, announced that Couva Carnival would be celebrating 20 years of management under the present committee. "We will meet shortly to plan a bumper programme for 2012, but we will expect more support from the companies in the Pt Lisas estate," he said.
Israfil Ali, chairman of the Regional Carnival Committee, congratulated the Couva committee for bringing off a very successful 2011 Carnival. Also present at the function was Ramona Ramdial, MP for Couva North.
Taking away several of the bigger cash prizes and trophies for 2011 were Danzo Balroop and Indra Charles, leaders of Chase Village Carnival, whose band In My Garden captured the Band of the Year crown and other major awards.