Moonilal to address Mon Repos protestors’ concerns

Housing and Environment Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal is looking at establishing work programmes for residents in the Mon Repos, San Fernando community. However, he said it is a pity that the People’s National Movement (PNM)-controlled constituency was so reliant on government programmes like Cepep and Colour Me Orange for income.

The MP for the San Fernando East is former prime Minister Patrick Manning who is in Washington, DC, United States recuperating from a stroke. Moonilal was responding to Wednesday’s fiery protest by residents of the HDC apartment building at Naparima-Mayaro Road, Mon Repos, over lack of jobs, water shortages and neglect of maintenance of the building and its surroundings.

Residents complained that the Government had terminated three Cepep contracts in the district, leaving scores on the bread line. They said, their building is in a deplorable state, the drains are dirty and the surroundings are overgrown. In a telephone interview with the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, Moonilal said, “I have taken notice of the action of residents and I empathise with them. It is such a pity that in a community represented by the PNM since 1962, with 40 years in office, the residents to this day depend so much on Cepep and Colour Me Orange.

“This speaks of a collapse of political and socio-economic strategies to lift these communities out of poverty.” Nevertheless, Moonilal said, he had asked HDC staff to undertake a quick survey with the aim of instituting work programmes in and around the building to provide income and other  opportunities to residents.