The Highway Review Committee tasked with examining all aspects of the controversial Debe to Mon Desir segment of the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway is progressing well in their quest to complete their report in the stipulated time frame. President of the Joint Consultative Council for the construction industry Afra Raymond, in a phone interview with the T&T Guardian, said he expects the committee will complete their report by early February.
Raymond said the review committee is hard at work and the JCC had no other comment to make at this time on the issue but will release another statement this week. Minister of Works and Infrastructure Emmanuel George said the ministry gave the review committe all the documents it requested through its project manager at the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nidco).
George said he has not met with the committee yet. "Given how important this is, they will keep the deadline set," he assured. In a brief phone interview with the T&T Guardian last week, environmental activist and University of the West Indies' lecturer Dr Wayne Kublalsingh said the Highway Re-route Movement had a seven-hour meeting with the committee on January 12.
He said they met again with the committee on Friday and the movement's final submission is scheduled for this week. Kublalsingh said the movement submitted reports two Saturdays ago when he also made a short presentation to the committee.
"The review committee is working hard despite time constraints. They have to ascertain the correctness of the information before them. They are doing a professional job so far. As far as I know they are still collecting information," he said. Kublalsingh said different teams within the review committee are working on different areas and to his knowledge the report is being prepared.
Until the report was completed, he said, all parties have agreed to give only general information to the media. He said all details will be divulged at the end of the 60 days with the completed report submitted to the Government and the public. Dr James Armstrong, chairman of the review committee said all questions should be directed to the JCC, as he was doing the review on behalf of the organisation and was responsible for overseeing the work of all the consultants.