–Minister Manickchand promises solutions to address Georgetown residents’ sanitation concerns
–conveys meeting with city garbage collectors
LOCAL Government and Regional Development Minister Priya Manickchand on Tuesday disclosed that immediate relief is on the way for residents of Georgetown following mounting complaints about the city’s deteriorating sanitation conditions.
In a statement, the minister disclosed that she met with garbage collectors contracted by the Georgetown City Council after what she described as the municipal body’s failure to take “practical or sensible” action to address the situation.
During the engagement, the service providers outlined several challenges, chief among them were outstanding payments stretching back months, despite funds being available at the City Council.
“At this meeting, the providers offered their challenges, including that they hadn’t been paid in months although there is funding at the City Council for that. We found solutions. You will see and feel relief shortly,” Minister Manickchand shared on her official Facebook page.
According to her, the meeting resulted in solutions aimed at restoring regular garbage collection, with residents expected to see changes soon.
“At Central Government we are clear that neither the mayor nor APNU will be allowed to suffer the citizens of Georgetown for cheap political points. Georgetown will be rescued,” she asserted.
On Monday the Mayor, Alfred Mentore and councillors aligned to A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) backed out of a scheduled engagement aimed at charting a way forward on the city’s worsening solid-waste disposal challenges.
Minister Manickchand had disclosed that the mayor had initially accepted an invitation to attend a closed-door meeting at 11:00hrs to discuss a way forward for solid-waste management in the capital.
“No APNU councillor was present at the meeting,” the minister stated, adding that councillors who did arrive later received calls and “hurriedly left the compound.”
According to Minister Manickchand, the decision to widen the invitation was intended to foster inclusive dialogue and benefit from the perspectives of councillors representing residents across the city.
The sudden withdrawals, she noted, undermined ongoing efforts to build a collaborative working relationship between central government and the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).
In view of the developments, Minister Manickchand said she invited members of the media to be briefed on the extent of work already undertaken by her ministry to improve coordination with the M&CC, as well as on “various discussions that have been had where commitments were made by the M&CC but not kept.”
“It is clear the Mayor and APNU councillors benefit in some way from a city that is approaching being inhabitable,” the minister said.
On Sunday she expressed her displeasure with the state of Georgetown, giving city officials up to 11:00 hrs the following day to submit a comprehensive plan that will reverse the situation.
Within recent weeks, there have been complaints in numerous areas about a disruption in garbage-collection services.
Residents in areas such as Campbellville and Tucville reported that during the Christmas season they observed a delay in garbage collection. In downtown Georgetown, there are growing piles of garbage.
