REGIONAL Executive Officer of Region Six, Dr Veerasammy ,on Wednesday accused the Vice- Chairman of this People’s Progressive Party /Civic controlled region of  abusing state resources in total disregard for rules governing the use of such resources.“Mr Denis DeRoop  is operating as if the PPP/C is still in Government,” Ramayya said, charging that the man was  abusing the vehicle assigned to him ; was deploying machines on his own authority and  had decided where he wanted to work instead of operating as was required from  the Office of the RDC.
He said for example that DeRoop was using the Government- owned vehicle  on a  24- hour basis mainly to do political work on behalf of the PPP/C.
He charged that  DeRoop used the vehicle extensively to campaign for the PPP/C during the last local government elections,” he charged.
“The diesel bill for the vehicle assigned to him for the month of  January was  $65,170  and for February $59, 769,”  he disclosed, adding that he could not find any plausible explanation for this excessive amount of diesel  by the vehicle assigned to DeRoop in  his normal  day- to-day operations of the Vice-Chairman.
“DeRoop should park the Government’s vehicle in the compound of the Office of the Regional Democratic Council at the end of a day’s work. He should not be going home and elsewhere after normal working hours with it. He has bluntly refused to park the vehicle at the end of the day.”
Ramayya said that the misuse of Government  resources seems to be a phenomenon in the PPP/C- controlled regions and  what was happening in Region Six apparently was just another example
Ramayya charged too that DeRoop who is Chairman of the works  committee is responsible for contractors not getting paid, since he had failed to get the required amount of  signatures  to validate  works done.
“He knows that the works have to be confirmed as properly done by three signatories, one of which should be his, yet has failed to get those signatures.  At the moment  the Sub-Treasury is refusing to pay these contractors unless the works are confirmed by the required amount of signatures . As a result , many contractors, particularly trench-cleaners have not  been paid for the past three months.”
He charged that 95% of the Works Committee  are known supporters of the PPP/C and this failure to affix their signatures to the documents so that people can get paid was an act of sabotage.
“This is how they are trying to make the administration look bad; to make the administration fail,” he said.
He  added that he had been given a mandate to help improve the quality of life of people in Region Six  and he would not allow anyone to deter him from pursuing this mandate.
He said that he has since limited the amount of diesel to be used by DeRoop’s  vehicle, since he as REO was ultimately accountable for the Government assets assigned to the region.
He also intends to discuss the foot-dragging of the Vice –Chairman in signing off the work of the trench- cleaners with a view to getting people who are inclined to support him in getting his work done.
He said: ”I am not getting it easy . PPP/C people within the system are giving me a hard time to get my job done.  I have a mandate to carry out my function as an REO; I will not betray the office nor the Government of the day. I will not back down.”
He appealed to the leaders of the RDC to put aside their political agendas and work with the administration in bettering the quality of life of people of  Region Six, rather than delaying progress through acts of administrative sabotage.(Clifford Stanley)