SOME 100 residents of Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara, on Sunday attended a meeting with a team of Men on Mission members, which was led by Chairman of the Region Four Men on Mission Committee, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister Dharamlall; Regional Commander Regional Division 4C, Assistant Commissioner Khali Pareshram, and resident of Vryheid’s Lust South, Major Dwayne Carter, visited the Vryheid’s Lust South Community Centre which is presently being upgraded and conducted a meeting with residents as part of a continued engagement with the community.

During the two-hour meeting residents raised a number of issues which included the regularisation and difficulties in the granting of transports; the need for better drainage and irrigation in the community; the need for better road maintenance and paving of roads; cleaning of the burial ground which is currently infested with bees; removal of the house currently occupying space on the community centre ground; the need for speed humps along the community roads; the establishing of a community library and IT Hub; the identification of lands to be used for the grazing of cattle; the need for scholarships for youths in the community; identifying and developing a community development centre for the youths and the completion of the Community Centre project.

According to the DPI, the minister, addressing the residents assured them that he will work with other ministers to ensure that their concerns are adequately addressed.

Through his ministry, he pledged that residents will be given contracts for the cleaning and maintaining of roads and drains in the community.

He also pledged that 30 unemployed residents will be given part-time employment through a government initiative, and that the community ground’s development will be completed.

The assistance being sought for farmers will be addressed by the Agriculture Ministry.

It was also announced that in the coming week, engineers from the ministry will be visiting the community to assess the roads and drainage situation. An update was also given on the current situation of the work being done on the community ground.

The residents expressed their satisfaction at the work done so far within the community and encouraged Minister Dharamlall to return in the future, DPI added.