MINISTER within the Ministry of Finance, Bishop Juan Edghill has ordered contractors to finish all ongoing works on the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court buildings, at Avenue of the Republic, by September month end.

The installation of air-conditioning units and grills, as well as the tidying up of the premises must be completed to facilitate the handing over of the completed project to the Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Carl Singh.
The minister issued the order while on another visit to the location to inspect the job which is behind schedule. He was accompanied by representatives of the various contracting firms, as well.
The completion of the current project will see the Government of Guyana ending all rental of buildings around Georgetown for the purpose of accommodating Magistrates’ Courts, Edghill said.
Presently, the Government is renting a building on Middle Street and the one on Croal Street is in the final stages of the extensive four phase rehabilitation process to enhance the criminal justice system.

FLOATING GARBAGE
While inspecting yesterday morning, the minister, upon his arrival on Avenue of the Republic, encountered a swamp with floating garbage which he, immediately, instructed to have cleared. Workers at the site related that the water needed to be drained but the main drain in front of the building was clogged, making the clearing impossible.
Edghill was being given a guided tour but decided to deviate and check on, for instance, the public sanitation block and the prisoners’ lock-ups.
He expressed satisfaction with the cells but raised some concern over the public sanitary facilities which had nails protruding from the rough swamped flooring.
“Why am I seeing nails? I don’t want to be seeing nails,” Edghill shouted, as he gave instructions for the situation to be remedied.
The minister noted that the exterior of the premises was painted in a colour different to the original and said that, too, must be changed.
Having identified the faults, Edghill said he anticipated no more delays in readying the Magistrates’ Court edifice, which was originally designed to house four courtrooms but is being reconfigured to accommodate eleven and centralise the Georgetown Magisterial District.
Persons attending the courts in the past were subjected to noise from various sources in the Stabroek vicinity but they will be relieved of it in the air-conditioned precincts.

HEALTH ISSUES
Asked about health issues, Minister Edghill said he is confident that the management of the justice system is well aware and will be putting systems in place to deal with such cases.
The rehabilitated courthouse will also see an end to the parking problem around the compound. There would also be special walkways to be used only by presiding magistrates for making their way within and into their respective chambers.
The delay in completing the programme to rehabilitate the Magistrates’ Courts had to do with the installing of some additional amenities not previously available.
Critical to the enhancement, too, is the placing of a brand new electricity transformer and a standby generator to cater for the anticipated power demand and those should be installed by the next two weeks, the minister was told.
The last deadline for the project was August 31 but, up to yesterday, tidying up of the compound and final touches to the fencing were being undertaken.
Among those working there are Anarchic Maintenance and Repairs, responsible for the installation of the air-condition units; Alvin Chowramootoo Construction Services and Lall’s Engineering.
Other Magistrates’ Courts enhancement projects are also in the completion stages across the country but some, at Lethem, Rupununi; Wismar, Upper Demerara River; Wales, West Bank Demerara and Leonora, West Coast Demerara, are almost done.
The one at Number 51, Corentyne, Berbice is finished and will be handed over and commissioned next week.