Works Minister Jack Warner yesterday apologised to residents across T&T who are protesting bad road conditions in their communities saying the Project for Upgrading Roads Efficiency (PURE) issue still has not been resolved. Warner, also commenting on the quarrying of mountains near the Asa Wright Nature Centre for the Government's Point Fortin Highway, said if his ministry had to import 90 per cent of the aggregate needed for the project, so be it.
The minister made the statements when probed by the media on the two burning issues at a Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development International Women's Day activity at the Chaguanas Borough Corporation in his Chaguanas West constituency. He made the comments even as foreign media workers who came all the way from Germany badgered him inside the corporation about football matters, which he firmly refused to respond to.
Asked about the staging of protests in seven communities, from Rio Claro to Cedros, almost simultaneously on Tuesday over several problems, including bad roads, Warner replied, "I empathise with the protestors. "They may have had expectations and in some ways they may not have been met. I want to apologise to them. I may not have performed as quickly as I should."
Warner said the issue of PURE, which had been paving roads throughout T&T, is still unsettled. PURE projects were put on hold in November last year after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar ordered an investigation into the organisation based on allegations of corruption.
Most of its staff were released and a skeletal staff remains at the El Socorro office to complete projects that were already started. Warner, in the context of the protests over bad roads, said, "The PURE issue has not been resolved as yet. I have been trying to help by patching the roads." The Minister also spoke on quarrying operations by the state-owned National Quarries Company Limited near the Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC) at Arima-Blanchiseuse for the $7.2 billion Point Fortin Highway.
The AWNC has called on the Government to stop the quarrying and on Tuesday afternoon the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs directed the company to immediately halt work. Warner, noting that he does not believe the mountains near the AWNC have to be destroyed, said, "I always knew we had to import aggregate."