— Including free house lots
HEAD of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon announced yesterday that $25M will be spent by the government to provide assistance to residents of Mahdia, in Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), who were dispossessed by the recent fire.
“The future is not so dim or uncertain,” he said at his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, in Office of the President (OP), Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.
Luncheon said $5M will go towards land preparation to develop approximately 36 acres, near Mahdia airstrip, to meet the housing needs of those who were displaced after the blaze.
He said the identified plot is expected to accommodate 150 house lots, which will be offered to the affected families free of cost.
The additional $20M, Luncheon said, will be used to create a new arcade where the previous one was destroyed.
Over the next week, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Region Eight Administration will be managing the continuing response, he stated.
Luncheon said the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is spearheading the coordinated emergency to which government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are responding.
The HPS observed that the Cabinet decisions were based on information derived from an urgent damage assessment and needs analysis that were done.
“This allowed Cabinet to both be supportive of plans to revitalise the community and house its citizens, as well as make incisive and immediate responses,” he explained.
Many millions of dollars were lost and lives threatened on July 1, when several business and dwelling houses in the main shopping area, known as the Arcade, were razed to the ground by flames suspected to be of electrical origin.
The destruction took place in the vicinity of the monument in Central Mahdia and, subsequently, a Cabinet team, led by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and including Ministers Jennifer Westford, Robeson Benn and Kellawan Lall flew there to offer support.
Emergency shelter arrangements were put in place in the community school for the victims and initial shipments of disaster supplies, from the CDC warehouse, were airlifted to the scene.
In an invited comment, Region Eight Chairman Mr. Senor Bell expressed his appreciation for the most recent support.
He expressed his hope for the financial support to be used “wisely” so that the end product contributes to the region’s progress.
Bell also pointed out that works have already begun to prepare the land identified to be developed for housing.
“The clearing has started and about half the work is done,” he said.
The Regional Chairman added that officials from the Housing Ministry indicated to him that upon completion technical personnel from the ministry will be in Mahdia to finalize the logistics of the undertaking.
“We are grateful…nearly every day we have various agencies and groups making donations to us,” Bell said.
He made it clear that the residents of Mahdia are coping and are comfortable for the time being.
“Some families are housed in hotels and others at the administrative compound…the dorms of the Mahdia Secondary School were not used so that shows that the families are comfortable,” he said.
The Regional Chairman added that water and other supplies are adequate.