By Michel Outridge

THIS week the Pepperpot Magazine journeyed to the Lower Corentyne, Berbice, to Number 74 Village, which is also called “Stockholm.”

There, the team interacted with the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairman, Anil Ramgahan, who gave an insight into the village and its residents, as well as developmental works in the pipeline.

Number 74 Village with a population of 1200 is the third-largest community under Ramgahan’s stewardship.

The chair disclosed that they have a koker/sluice which is used to regulate water to and from the farmlands were cash crops and rice are cultivated.

The economic activities of villagers include fishing, cash-crop farming, rice cultivation, self-employed folk, shops, other businesses and sugar workers.

Ramgahan added that the NDC is responsible for 23 villages, which stretches from Number 52 to Number 74. They have a sub-office at Number 71 Village, and prior to 1973, they had three separate NDCs to controlled villages.

Ramgahan explained that one NDC has responsibility for Number 52 to Number 58, while another NDC controls from Number 59 to Number 66 and the other from Number 67 to Number 74.

In 1973, the three NDCs were merged.

Ramgahan added that in total the villages have 11,023 voters, but the overall population from Number 52 to Number 74 is 15400.

As for education institutions, the villages have one secondary school, five primary schools and seven nursery schools.

He pointed out that there are also health centres, one police outpost, two animal pounds, 16 active sports grounds, four horse-racing tracks, six burial grounds, three privately run religious schools, 20 mandirs, seven mosques and 15 churches.

Ramgahan added that some places of interest in Number 52 to 74 villages are the Number 63 Beach and Joe Park at Number 64 Village.

In highlighting developmental works done last year, the NDC Chairman reported that they bought a canter truck, built a new sub-office, repaired two heavy-duty bridges and three footpath bridges, installed pvc tubes to improve drainage, collected garbage for free once every two weeks for seven months, laid reef sand on clay streets and cleaned and maintained drains.

This year, the NDC did four pipe extensions and revetments, spreading of 340 tonnes of crush and run to roads, the purchase of a tractor slasher, seven 12-inch tubes and the cleaning and maintenance of drains within the catchment areas.

Moving forward, the chair has plans for the villages.

“I would also like to see all internal drains became concrete drains, all streets have asphalt, street lights in every street and the development of all sports grounds in the area,” he said.

He added that the development and maintenance of the No. 63 beach would be necessary to attract both tourists and locals. He also hopes that they can develop a farm-to-market roads and tarmac for farmers to dry their paddy and build modern bus sheds at every street corner where there is a school.

Eight permanent staffers, including three watchmen and a charwoman work at the NDC.