–anticipate a speedy completion of the road works underway in the community

RESIDENTS of Laluni, a small farming community along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, are anticipating the completion of the main access road, which will significantly enhance their ability to transport goods and commute easier.
During an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Laluni’s community development chairman (CDC), Julian Mohabir said that the first phase of the road construction project, which includes the rehabilitation of a bridge and other preparatory works, has been completed.

“They do some work on the first half of the road and very soon the other half will be completed and then they will do the final stage on the road,” Mohabir related.
In September 2022, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali visited the community and announced that some $50 million in contracts will be awarded for the rehabilitation of the road.
Those works will be done in two phases and will see members of the community being employed during the second phase.
Once the road is completed, farmers in the community are expected to see a boost in their profits, as the improved infrastructure will allow them to better transport their goods from the farms to markets.

“We know the road cost a lot of money, so it’s taking some time to get it fixed but when fixed it will be A-one,” Mohabir said.
However, some residents have expressed concerns about speedy completion. One resident, who spoke under anonymity said she believes that engineers can work at a faster pace.
While she welcomed the upgrades to the community’s infrastructure, she said it has been long overdue and residents are anxious to see promises that were made to them fulfilled.
This publication spoke to several farmers who were happy that the road is being constructed given the state of the main access road.

For most farmers in the community the journey from their farms to markets are gruelling because of the “deep potholes and break up parts” of the road.
“The road is the issue we have in here right now. We are farmers and it’s hard to carry out our produce. Once the road is fixed, that would be good,” Joan Bhagwandin told this publication.
Bhagwandin along with her husband owns and operates a citrus farm.

According to the woman, on a daily, they would harvest several pales of cherries and their biggest challenge is transporting their produce to the market.
Meanwhile, Zita Daniels a 70-year-old citrus farmer who still tills the soil, said that the deplorable state of the road remains a concern, so the timely completion of the ongoing road works would be greatly appreciated.

Daniels usually sells her produce to vendors in the community, who would travel along the Soesdyke highway or to the capital city, Georgetown to find market for the produce.
In the past, the tobacco company, Demerara Tobacco Co. Limited (Demtoco), which had operated in the community for several years, would maintain the road but these works ceased when the company dissolved its operations in the 1980s.