-President Ali highlights house improvements, drainage and sanitation works, courtyard for vendors as top priorities

IMMEDIATE steps are being rolled out to tackle drainage, sanitation and recreational issues, along with providing broad housing support following a presidential outreach in East Ruimveldt, on Thursday.

President, Dr Irfaan Ali led the walkthrough in the Georgetown community, and he was accompanied by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand; Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffth and Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs.

During the walkthrough, strengths were identified, such as the strong emphasis on education and President Ali praised the strong sense of community and the positive youth direction.

The President, while engaging residents of all ages, pledged to them that his government is committed to creating communities with positive “vibes and living.”

However, the visit revealed several issues and chief among them were poor drainage and sanitation, which the President described as urgent matters requiring immediate attention.

Over the years, scores of complaints made to the opposition-controlled Mayor and City Council (M&CC), which is responsible for those matters, have fallen on deaf ears.

“As you know, these are areas that come under the city council, but we can’t wait on the city council anymore. They have a disinterest in developing communities. Their interest is creating their own challenge. But I’m not into that. We are here to work directly with the communities, to work with you, to find ways in which we can address some key issues,” the President told residents.

President Ali assured the residents of the community that government officials are preparing to return with technical teams to resolve those critical community issues.

The recreational facility will be further improved to provide a warm and welcoming space for the youths and the elderly.

With the promise of swift intervention, residents of the community expressed gratitude to the President.

In addition to drainage and sanitation concerns, the President also noted that during his walkabout residents confided in them about the need for housing improvements, particularly concerning their roofing.

“So, we’re going to look at those roof improvements, the drainage, the sanitation,” he said.

There are also plans for cleaning and beautifying the area with fruit trees, the President said.

The President also said that the government is surveying the area to identify a suitable location to develop for stalls, thereby addressing the concern of roadside vending raised by residents.

“As we walk in the community, people complain about stalls and stands being in front of their businesses, the churches,” Dr Ali said, adding: “We will tarmac that area. We’ll create a nice courtyard effect, so that persons can sell in dignity, and even persons from outside can come in and enjoy the facility.”

Additionally, Minister Manickchand also shared the plans to uplift the community, creating sustainable and safe infrastructure.

The cleaning out of drains has commenced, and the minister said that there will be the implementation of concrete drains.

Sanitation services are set to improve, and the minister noted the planned developments for the community market.

“The point is, this is not a one-off walk. We are your friends, and we are here forever. We will partner with you to make sure your life and your community gets [sic] better, and you can count on us for that,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, Minister Jacobs noted that his subject ministry has started significant works and aims to continue making recreational spaces “wholesome” and “fulfilling.”

He added: “…When the facility is completed, we want to make sure that the necessary programmes are in place here. We want to support the football team. We want to support everybody who will be out here so that you can progress and that is important for us, building that community spirit, building that community camaraderie.”

Additionally, Minister Griffith stated that the “tide is changing in East Ruimveldt” and urged citizens to take up a key role in their community development.

He also voiced commitment for all residents to get the opportunity to become skilled, reskilled and upskilled.