Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner says more than $200 million will be injected into Matelot for infrastructural needs–mainly to address bad roads and poor drainage. He gave the undertaking on a tour of Matelot with Toco/ Sangre Grande MP Rupert Griffith and engineer Hayden Phillips.
About 50 members of the communities of Matelot, Monte Video and Mission joined in on the tour. They surveyed broken bridges, drains, roads and ventured behind homes to look at the sea which had uprooted trees and eroded land in some areas. Warner said: "More than $200 million at a minimum. If it had not been neglected so badly it would have not cost so much. But the place has been neglected so badly. That is why it would cost so much."
Having heard the cries of the people, Warner added: "We shall fix the roads. We shall fix the bridges. And initiate a bus service."
Borrowing a line from the blind poet Milton, he added: "Matelot was paradise lost. Matelot would be paradise regained." Warner said he had to "come and see for himself." "There is no way I could stay in Parliament and make an assessment."
Fix sea wall
Among those who spoke about the need to make short-term improvements were Phillips and Griffith. Phillips spoke about a sea wall that was threatening to collapse completely. "A strategic approach starting from Valencia coming up. We cannot continue with that approach. There is a sea wall. We need about three weeks to look at it. We will come up with an alternative design. We have to try and protect people's houses. A lot of work."
At that point Warner interjected, saying: "There is a dangerous landslip behind three houses. If ever any place has been forgotten, Matelot has been forgotten. Matelot would be embraced as anywhere else."Further commenting on short term interventions, Griffith said: "We already have an emergency local team. They have been removing landslides. I would be coming back from time to time." He also said the Minister of Agriculture Vasant Bharath would be meeting with about 250 farmers in the constituency.
"I give you the promise Matelot will no longer be a forgotten village."
