Flooding, crime and poor infrastructure were the major issues raised during the Oropouche East pre-budget presentation on Tuesday.
Recalling the major flooding in the Penal/Debe that wreaked havoc in several communities, businessman Larry Sammy said no measures were put in place to prevent such a situation from reoccurring.
He said he is bracing for more floods during this rainy season, and that he is not prepared to sit this one out quietly.
Sammy also took a swipe at the business people, who he said complained that there was only one police vehicle at the Penal Police Station to patrol the community yet it is business as usual. “We have to shut this country down. We not citizens not the politicians. We have to do it.”
Sammy recalled his harrowing experience during the major flood last year. He said, “Not to get water to drink for three days I feel like I was in desert and to lose what I work hard for. Yes, the office of the MP sent a hamper for me, I appreciate it. I accept it with open arms but hear what four days after when the water subsided I had was to go in the bank and take out to buy a brand new fridge.”
Sammy said he lost about $50,000 worth of items, including his stove, water pump and couch set.
While a number of residents are still waiting for compensation for their loses, he said flood victims at the Housing Development Corporation’s Greenvale, La Horquetta collected their cheques within days.
“I feel hurt. I feel neglected to see that people in a housing development collect money within days of their flooding.” Complaining that no work is done in the Penal area, he said eight weeks ago a tree fell in the river at Suchit Trace and it has not been removed. He also complained that a former councillor built a structure that is blocking the watercourse.
“I know when this year when I flood is a horse of a different colour,” he complained. He called for more money to be allocated to flood victims and for the cleaning and dredging of watercourses, as well as the construction of reservoirs.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, Sammy said he requested from the Social Development Ministry information regarding how many compensation packages were given out to residents in the last flooding and he expected to receive those documents this week.
Councillors Shanti Boodram and Brian Julien also complained that no development was taking place in their area. Boodram said watercourses were not cleaned, residents are also crying out for water, increased police patrols, and employment.
Julien said one of the biggest problems is that the “short cut” roads built under the Peoples Partnership government to ease the traffic congestion are not being maintained.
Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal promised to “raise strenuously” in Parliament the issue of flooding. He said the government claim that it had no money, but yet they have spent about $1 billion dollars on projects.
Moonilal said the problem was not dollars and cents but with the government’s inability to prioritise.