Charity roadside stalls being demolished ahead of township
THE Ministry of Public Works has begun the demolition of vending stalls at Charity roadside on Essequibo Coast. Guarded by armed Police, the Ministry workers were tearing down the structures on both sides of the road when the Guyana Chronicle visited Wednesday morning.
As the destruction got underway, vendors, who were reluctant to cooperate with the orders of the Charity/Urasara Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in the removal by the Wednesday deadline, quickly began to pull down their own stalls before the Ministry team arrived at their location.
Confusion reigned as every vendor tried, desperately, to save materials they had used in the construction, including zinc sheets and boards, from the road shoulders, which the Ministry, the NDC and the Regional Administration of Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) are collaborating to clear.
Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Kenneth Persaud, told this newspaper that the sellers were occupying the Government reserve illegally and causing serious congestion along the roadway.
Persaud, who assumed the appointment recently, after Mr. Ayube Khan resigned, said he wants to clean up Charity in preparation for it becoming a secondary town.
He said the Government has built a paved tarmac, 249 feet long and 103 feet wide, costing $20M, in front of Pomeroon Oil Mill, to relocate the illegal occupants.
Persaud said, prior to giving them notice and a last date to remove, vendors’ concerns were discussed with them at several meetings.
He said the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) also appointed a three-man committee to oversee the relocation of the 141 vendors involved in the open air vending.
Persaud said some were cooperating and willing to move but others were dissatisfied with the space allotted them on the new tarmac.
Several said the four feet walkway between stalls was inadequate and others said the tarmac has no lights or running water.
However, Persaud assured that electricity and water would be made available very soon and concrete drains created on the perimeter of the tarmac.
He said the transfer of the vendors is the first phase of the project towards Charity becoming a township and focus would be on vending in other areas after the public road shoulders are vacated.
Councillor of the RDC, Mr. Fizul Bacchus, who witnessed part of the demolition Wednesday, said the Regional Administration will find a site where all the vendors can be accommodated to conduct their business in comfort.