Road linkages among developments proceeding in Moruca Sub-Region
SEVERAL villages in the Moruca Sub-Region of Region One (Barima/Waini) would be interlinked through roads being constructed by Central government. One of the routes, linking the Parakeese and Kamwatta communities, was visited last week Friday by a team of officials.
The two satellite neighbourhoods of the Santa Rosa Village which, together, have a population of about 800 and the direct beneficiaries of the $9M project will benefit the approximately 300 residents of Parakeese, who are mostly subsistence farmers.
The visiting team, led by Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development,  Mr. Norman Whittaker and including Regional Executive Officer, Mr. Nigel Fisher and Regional Democratic Councillor, Mr. Marko Boyal, went to inspect the works  done, so far.
According to Whittaker, the road is approximately four kilometers long and, when extended, will be between eight and nine feet wide. It is to be used by pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles, for which there will, however, be restrictions on the types that can access it.
Already motor cars and pick-ups are accessing the thoroughfare but it is expected that, by the end of the project, more vehicles would be able to do so.
The Minister pointed out that there are now about 50 motor vehicles in the area, as compared to 1992, when there were just two or three belonging to wealthy people.

Progress rapidly
The contractor, Mr. Raghubir is using a mix of loam and sand and, as soon as there is an ease in the rainy weather, work will progress rapidly, Whittaker assured.
The Minister said the contractor has done quite a lot of work in this Sub-Region and is familiar with the territory and its people and Whittaker is hoping that, with full support from the villagers, the road building will be finished within the next month or two.
Apart from the two communities previously mentioned, the new road also stands to benefit residents of other villages, the Minister said.
“We can drive now from Kumaka to Waramuri, whereas, before the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) time, it was just a trail and you had to use the river. The road from Santa Rosa to Hymacabra is also complete and one can have an alternative means of transportation,” Whittaker observed.
He said work is also being done on the link between Santa Rosa and Manarawin and, despite the massive cuts to the 2012 National Budget, he is optimistic that similar development will continue.
“I can see the nods in the heads of many people when I referred to the investment in education and the tangible results obtained,” Whittaker said.
He remarked that the Region has some of the best educators and a lot of nurses from there are qualifying themselves.
The physical infrastructure in the Region is being improved, as well and Moruca can now have electricity for at least six hours per day.
Kamwatta has already received its solar panels.
Despite all of this, though, Whittaker acknowledged that there is still much more to be done. “We have many communities that we also want to get a bite of the cake,” he said, adding that the budget cuts will, definitely, have a bearing on what can be done.

Next stage
“For example, land demarcation, land titling, there are a number of Amerindian villages and communities in Region One that are listed for titling this year. A number of villages that received titles should go on to the next stage, demarcation. And there are even some that have applied for extension.
“Now, to the extent that funds made available under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) were axed, it means that those projects will be affected.
“We have told the Amerindian people this and they are very bitter about it. People are upset and are seeking to find other means of having it done. Of course I couldn’t refer them to Granger, neither could I refer them to Ramjattan because they don’t have any solution; they don’t care to have a solution to the people’s problems,” Whittaker said.