SOME 27,000 residents in Haslington/Grove and Industry/Plaisance Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) will be the latest Guyanese countrywide to enjoy a better quality of life with the implementation of Government programmes. Towards that aim, contracts worth $400M were signed on Thursday, by NDC officials, Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited (CBCSL) and Dipcon Engineering Services Limited, for the rehabilitation of 30 roadways within the two NDCs, under the Community Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP).
Signatories to the first contract, worth $160M, between NDC officials and CBCS Limited, were affixed in Golden Grove Primary School, on President’s College Road, will result in the rehabilitating of 12 roads, with the use of double bituminous surface treatment (DBST) or asphaltic concrete (AC).
Works will also be done to rehabilitate two culverts and six bridges, as well as provide safety features, such as signage, markings and speed humps on the identified roads and the cleaning, reshaping and/or realigning of existing roadside drains and the excavating of new drains where necessary.
The second signing took place at Plaisance Government School, in the village, where the $133.7M deal was awarded to CBCSL, to rehabilitate 13 roads within Industry/Plaisance, specifically those in the Plaisance and Sparendaam areas, using DBST and AC.
The third contract, for a $152.8M award to Dipcon, is for the rehabilitating of five roads within Industry/Plaisance, specifically those in Ogle and Industry, with DBST and AC.
In addition to the works on a total of 18 community roads, existing drains will be cleaned, reshaped and re-aligned and new ones would be dug. The project will also result in the rehabilitation of one bridge and the provision of safety features, such as signage, markings and speed humps on the programmed routes.
Housing Minister Irfaan Ali, who was present on the occasion, reiterated, to the residents, that the projects were designed and implemented for them and will contribute to a better quality of life for all.
He urged them to become involved in the process and ensure that the quality of works delivered by the contractors is of high standards and to protect the investment made by the Government on their behalf.
According to Mr. Ali, CRIP is but another Government of Guyana initiative geared towards improving the lives of persons, by improving access to housing, education, health, and other social infrastructure.
He repeated that one of the basics tenets of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration is to promote infrastructural and social development in all of the communities across the country.
CRIP is targeting 87,000 Guyanese in communities across the country to benefit from better roads and the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Housing and Water, received a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for the purpose.
In recent weeks, several of the related contracts were signed in various NDCs, among them Enmore/Hope, Stewartville/Cornelia Ida, Mon Repos/La Reconnaissance, Unity/Veereniging and Port Mourant/John.