CONCERNED residents of various villages in the Corentyne area, including Number 63, 64, 65 and 66, have expressed worry about the state of some of the roads in their communities.
The residents claim that years ago, work was started when sand and big stones were thrown on the road and covered with loam.
They also said that they were informed that the roads were to be tarred at some point, but that was almost eight years ago. However, up until now, nothing has been done and the roads would be covered with dirt and grass if it weren’t for the good-spirited citizens who would usually buy sand and loam to fill the roads.
They pointed out that the bricks under the sand tend to pose a hazard to vehicles because the tyres are usually punctured by the sharp edges.
REGION’S 2014 BUDGET
Meanwhile, an official of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) said that a number of roads were placed in the region’s budget for 2014 for immediate and continued repairs and rehabilitation work.
He said that although the roads that were budgeted to be repaired cannot be pinpointed at this time, the regional administration is urging residents to be patient as all the roads will be done in time.
The official further stated that the roads are a major point of focus for the administration.
Other residents said that every month, the region keeps patching pieces and parts of the other roads and it would usually fall apart within a month or so. According to some residents, within one month the road usually becomes impassable and then the region would allocate more monies to do more works again.
The residents have alleged that the materials that were supposed to be used to do proper work on the roads are being stolen and diverted to other locations as trucks were seen taking materials away from the worksites.
The RDC official noted that the regional executive officer (REO) as well as the regional chairman are both monitoring the projects closely to ensure quality and timely work is delivered to the residents.
photo in graphics as village road
caption – One of the roads that has been identified for repairs. Residents said that they pooled money to buy sand and loam to patch the road themselves. However, the bricks which have caused a lot of tyre damage can be seen protruding from under the sand and loam.