Environmental activist and leader of the Highway Re-Route Movement (HRM) Dr Wayne Kublalsingh said he is expected to receive a response from the National Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (Nidco) either today or early next week on the HRM's optimum connectivity proposal.
In a telephone interview yesterday Kublalsingh said he had a meeting with Nidco two days ago and asked that there be mediation but the State entity was yet to agree to this.The optimum connectivity proposal aims to change the highway segment that would connect the Debe and Mon Desir communities to a series of alternate routes connecting them to the San Fernando to Point Fortin Highway."We had a preliminary meeting with Nidco because we were told they wanted to meet with us next week and we wanted to know what that meeting was about. We were then told it was the response to our optimum connectivity proposal."We asked for mediation and we are hoping that at some point Nidco will agree because without mediation there will be no progress. We also asked that Government support that meeting but we also did not get any assurances," Kublalsingh said.
He said the mediators would be independent experts preferably from the University of the West Indies. Once all parties agree to mediate the hunger strike would be suspended.Kublalsingh is on his second hunger strike in protest against the $7.5 billion Solomon Hochoy Highway extension from San Fernando to Point Fortin.He completed 100 days of the strike on Christmas Day.
Asked how he spent the first day of the new year Kublalsingh said he basically stayed in bed."I am just monitoring my body very closely. It is getting weaker. I hope the government has the courage to do the right thing," Kublalsingh added.