MINISTER within the Ministry of Agriculture, Alli Baksh, yesterday continued the mandate issued to government officials to meet with residents of communities across the country to find out what issues they face and how to address them.

The presidential mandate took Minister Baksh, accompanied by officers of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) to the Endeavour Primary School in Canal No. 2 Polder, Region 3, to listen to concerns facing farmers’ development.
Farmers of the West Bank Demerara community told the minister their concerns regarding issues affecting the development of their farming life. Among one of those concerns is incomplete drainage works of the main canal. Farmers complained that persons hired to clear the canal do not complete what they are paid to do.
Minister Baksh immediately instructed the NDC officials to begin documenting the jobs and to insist that the persons contracted sign off when the job is completed. Inspection to confirm that the job is indeed done will be made before any payment is made to the workers.
He added that this will ensure accountability and the written documentation will also indicate the progress of work on the canal.
The minister gave a commitment to farmers and other residents to lay their issues before Cabinet so they could be better addressed by government to implement methods of dealing with them.
He pointed out to them, however, that as development takes place, there are always challenges to be faced and new ones would appear as development continues.
Minister Baksh recently visited communities in Region 2 to examine the low pressure of water in the area because of the current dry spell.