…says township status to Mahdia very timely

MEMBER of Parliament for Region Eight Rajcoomarie Bancroft on Wednesday hailed the progress made by the town under the administration and she said the recent conferral of township status on Mahdia is a timely move which will help push development in the Potaro -Siparuni region.

“Mahdia is a moving and a revolutionised township,” Bancroft, who is representing the APNU+AFC government in the National Assembly, declared during her contribution to the budget debate on Wednesday. “This fast trajectory of development is fittingly demonstrated in the town’s monument,” Member of Parliament for Region Eight Bancroft said. The opposition has made fun of the monument, ascribing sexual attributes to it, but Bancroft said, “That tells you Mahdia is solid as a rock and it is there to stay; Mahdia will never be removed.”

She praised the government for commissioning Mahdia as a town, thus giving its residents the opportunity to vote at the recently concluded Local Government Elections. “In my last year’s budget speech, Mahdia being a town was only a concept; but on October 25th 2018, it became a reality…and so the good life continues for all.”

In commending the 2019 budget in which Region Eight saw a budgetary allocation of $2.1 B, she told the House that the region will be spending it wisely and with the people in mind, as was done in 2018. During 2018, a number of edifices in Mahdia were rehabilitated and public infrastructures were constructed such as bridges and the first-ever asphalted road. The road linking Mahdia to Garraway’s Stream and the Denham Suspension Bridge has commenced and will be completed soon. The Mahdia Hospital has been extended and a new nurses’ hostel has been constructed, thus improving the delivery of primary healthcare, the MP told the House. She said too that the sod was turned to construct the new courthouse just three days ago.

She said too that the Kato Secondary School building is now up and running and has a student population of over 300. The Paramakatoi Secondary School is also up and running and a new primary school has been constructed in Itabac. Student dorms were also constructed to facilitate students residing in far-flung areas. There have also been noticeable achievements in the agricultural sector, with several programmes being rolled out to assist farmers.

The Cassandra Crossing bridge which will be completed in 2019, will link Regions Seven and Eight. ‘When that is completed, Regions Seven and Eight will once again have a direct link, as such, we will be able to cut out tedious hours of travel and this budget will see it through to 2019.”