Works and Infrastructure Minister Jack Warner has been advised by his permanent secretary, Cheryl Blackman, to choose his projects because funds are limited. Yesterday, as Warner and officials from the ministry toured the Naparima and Moruga/Tableland districts to view some of the reported 200 landslips in the area, he asked Blackman if there was enough money to repair the road. Blackman replied: "Minister, you have so many people asking you and it is urgent all over. You will have to determine what is the priority. Residents were pleased when Warner said he planned to give priority the road, which is badly affected by poor drainage and filled with potholes. He said the Ministry of Local Government was not fully able to deal with the massive road repairs in the district.
"Throughout the southern region, there seems to be problems with the roads," he said. "The councillor could try but there are some roads which come under the local government that they can't fix. "They don't have the funding for it, they don't have the expertise, they don't have the equipment. "I think it is unfair to ask local government to fix roads like these, which are of course outside their competence," Warner said. The day started with Warner viewing a major landslip at Second Avenue, Tableland, where the roadway slipped away three years ago leaving some residents stranded.
A temporary road was constructed along a piece of land belonging to Shastri Seebaran who said because he approached Warner for the repair works he has been ignored by the Princes Town Regional Corporation.
Seebaran said when he went to the corporation, he was told the road had been condemned. Warner said money was allocated for the repairs but nothing had been done. He said tests and estimates had already been done and asked for a month to have the problem rectified. The minister visited the home of Cynthia Lee who died a month ago. Her son, Ronald Lee, claimed she died of grief because of the state of the home. Parts of Lee's house collapsed and was on the verge of crumbling because of a landslip at the back of the structure. The party also toured a several areas, including Ramkisson Trace and Lapai Road, where road repairs were expected to be done soon.