– Minister Benn
THE clearing of vegetation and cleaning of drains in Le Repentir Cemetery by the Public Works Ministry is expected to come to an end in two weeks time, Minister with the portfolio, Mr. Robeson Benn said Saturday. He was speaking at the official opening of the New Vendors Mall, in the vicinity of Stabroek Market, in the renowned ‘Donkey City,’ also in Georgetown.
Le Repentir, the largest burial ground in Guyana, was prioritised for restoration as its surroundings had become overrun with vegetation and creating an eyesore.
It is for this reason that the Government of Guyana recently stepped in to assist the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), providing $15M for spraying overgrowth and cleaning drains.
Minister Benn reported that, after these efforts are completed, the burial site would be handed back to the M&CC.
For this year alone, he pointed out that Government has spent $700M in works across the city, which included repairs to City Hall and clearing of the “jungle” at Le Repentir.
Minister Benn observed that Government proved itself to be a reliable partner, in terms of development of the city and all other urban areas of the country.
The cemetery provision has also allowed for the demarcation and prioritisation of additional areas that need renovation.
A restoration committee, led by Minister Benn and comprising stakeholders from the private sector and the M&CC, had, earlier in the year, begun developmental works in the cemetery.
“It is critical to clean up some of the areas, so that some level of decency and aesthetics will come forth within the environment of Le Repentir cemetery,” Permanent Secretary within the Local Government Ministry, Mr. Nigel Dharamlall, told the Government Information Agency (GINA) recently.
He said the cemetery restoration is one of three main areas in which the Government, through his ministry, is providing support to the City Council to improve the conditions in the capital.
Another aspect of support has to do with city enhancement, for which Government has provided the City Council with $16M.
In addition to providing some of the equipment to assist the council in disposing of garbage after the recent strike action by private garbage collectors, Government also injected money to assist with some of the expenses incurred by the municipality.
Government’s intervention has allowed City Hall to pay the outstanding sums owing to the contracted garbage collectors, offsetting the strike and regularising the city’s garbage collection.
“It is unfortunate, though, that the Government has been leading City Hall in many of its efforts, because the City Council is supposed to be responsible for the administration of the affairs of the city,” Dharamlall said.
“As Government, we need to take some leadership in ensuring that the city of Georgetown moves forward,” he acknowledged.