RESIDENTS of Grove, on East Bank Demerara, have been urged, by Government and their Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) officials, among others, to desist from trying to install street lighting on their own.
The lack of the facility in the community was cited by people living there as one of the constraints affecting them when Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Norman Whittaker undertook a walk-about there on Thursday.
He was accompanied by other Government functionaries, some from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) and others from the NDC.
Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle yesterday, Minister Whittaker said the complainants were discouraged from climbing on to the light poles, as the practice is neither safe nor right.
He said they were also encouraged to form themselves in a group to address the issue and then have their NDC engage Guyana Power & Light (GPL) on their behalf. 
Referring to roads, the minister said 12 will be done under the Community Road Improvement Programme (CRIP) that is being funded by the Government and the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) for implementation through the Ministry of Housing and Water.
He said work on the NDC building is expected to be done simultaneously with the roads, but according to him, that cannot start because of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Court litigation regarding ownership of the NDC office.
The minister said the PNCR is claiming that the property belongs to it and that has stalled the process.
“We’re hoping that the PNCR could move out of the way,” he said.
At Diamond, the non use of the market tarmac was another matter raised and the minister said he met some of the vendors who explained that, if the tarmac is fenced and washrooms are added, they would be willing to utilise it.
According to him, the RDC had made money available to the NDC to have the washrooms done but no work on them has yet started and he has promised to have the delay investigated.