The Chairman of the Penal Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC), Dr Allen Sammy, is taking issue with comments made by Works and Transport Minister, Rohan Sinanan, over the failure of regional corporations to fix the roads in their constituencies.
In a release issued today, the PDRC Chairman points to an interview the minister did with the Trinidad Guardian, which was published on Sunday 9 February 2020.
“The Minister of Works Rohan Sinanan referred to the responsibility of the 14 regional (municipal) corporations for 79 percent of the roadways within the country, and said ‘they don’t have a system in place (to repair) that is a problem’,” Dr Sammy observes. “This was in reference to the deplorable conditions of these roads and the failure of municipalities to properly maintain these surfaces.”
He adds: “Had he checked with his honourable colleague responsible for Local Government, he would have been advised that there is indeed a system in place in all municipalities and it has been so for decades.”
Dr Sammy challenges the minister to explain why regional corporations have seen funds dry up, which were allocated in the annual budget to purchase road building and repair materials to fix the thousands of potholes throughout the country.
He also is asking whether the minister will keep his promise to “supply each corporation with materials” to undertake patching works, and when the initiative will roll out.
The PDRC Chairman says he waits with baited breath to see if Minister Sinanan will set aside part of the $500 million budget for grand infrastructure programmes to local government, for road patching throughout the country.