Awaiting GPL compensation

Bisoondai Rajnaraine, standing in front of her rebuilt business on Bourda Green.

Two of the three proprietors whose grocery shops on Bourda Green were destroyed by an electrical fire on July 20 last have rebuilt, but not with the assistance of the power company, they contend.

Rather, it was their own initiative and resilience, backed by the goodwill of the businesses with which they have set up long standing relationships that allowed them to rise from the ashes.

They are also calling on Guyana Power and Light to compensate them fairly for their losses.

Those whose businesses were destroyed are Bisoondai Rajnaraine, who operates two double stalls; her mother, Chanroutie Seepersaud who had two; and William King, who also had two.

Seepersaud 74, and her daughter Bissoondai Rajnarine have rebuilt, but King has not done so as yet, and this newspaper was unable to catch up with him for a comment.

Chanroutie Seepersaud – outside her new shop.

The disaster which left eight grocery stalls gutted and millions of dollars in losses occurred around 3:00 h on July 20 last. Witnesses claimed that following a black-out in the Bourda area, there was a surge when the power was restored, and they saw flames ‘running’ from a lamp post on Orange Walk, along an electrical wire to the shops.

The Fire Department was summoned, and firefighters managed to contain the blaze.

Hours after the conflagration, the owners complained that their immediate concern was how would they get money to pay the businesses from which they had taken goods on a credit basis, because they were not insured.

Two weeks later, forced, out of necessity to find ways of rebuilding and re-stocking their businesses, their concerns are the same and mounting, since they have had to rebuild, and while being granted further credit, they are still committed to paying for the goods lost.

They said GPL staffers visited the premises and gave them forms which they were advised to fill, indicating their losses. They complied, and were promised that they would hear from the company within two weeks.

But three weeks have elapsed and they have heard nothing from GPL.

William King’s shop – still closed. fire.

A distraught Rajnarine yesterday related to the Chronicle that she is now deeply indebted and can hardly even sleep at nights.

“Rebuilding and restocking cost me more than $3 M, and with each passing day, my fears are growing, because I borrowed money to build back, and business is slow at this time; Very little money is not coming in,” she said.

Even as this newspaper was interviewing the woman, a businessman who had come to collect monies owed turned up, but payment had to be rescheduled.

Meanwhile, Rajnarine’s 74-year-old mother said it cost her more than $400,000 to rebuild and restock. But her problem is made even worse, she said, since the selling of cold beverages (aerated drinks) which helped push her business had to be discontinued after her freezer was destroyed in the blaze. The women said that the fire officials returned to the scene a few days later and made checks. But GPL did nothing, and informed them that they will have to do their own re-wiring and run the line from the road if they want power to the facilities.

“Imagine, is ‘they fire’ burn those things up, and now we have to replace the wires before we can get the service back?” the old woman asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

She added that the stalls may now be looking impressive, but, behind all that, “Is sheer stress….” – especially since so many people selling the same type of things on the Green.