RESIDENTS of Better Hope and La Bonne Intention (LBI) have raised concerns about drainage, roads, garbage collection and communication with their Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), prompting Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Priya Manickchand, to demand more responsive service delivery.
The concerns were raised during a community engagement on Thursday at the Better Hope/LBI NDC compound, where residents from across the NDC’s catchment area spoke directly with central, regional and local government officials.
Among the issues highlighted were drainage problems linked to road conditions, inconsistent garbage collection, poorly maintained community grounds and concerns over the availability and use of NDC resources.
Residents also expressed dissatisfaction with communication between the NDC and the communities it serves, including the level of engagement by some councillors with residents in their respective constituencies.
Minister Manickchand reminded councillors and NDC staff of their responsibility to remain accessible and responsive to residents and urged them to increase their presence in the communities under their responsibility.
She said resources provided to the NDC must result in visible improvements in the quality and reliability of services delivered to residents.
The Minister pointed to government support for the NDC, including a $30 million subvention and the provision of equipment such as tractors and garbage trucks.
She stressed that such resources should translate into practical improvements in communities and more effective responses to residents’ concerns.
Following the issues raised, Manickchand committed to working with the relevant regional and local authorities to address the outstanding matters as quickly as possible.
She also urged the NDC to begin addressing issues that can be resolved immediately, with some works expected to have commenced as early as Friday (yesterday).
The Minister said she would closely follow the NDC’s response to the concerns raised and monitor how the council addresses the issues identified during the engagement.
Also participating in the meeting were Minister within the Ministry of Housing, Vanessa Benn; Regional Chairman, Clemsford Belgrave; Regional Executive Officer, Juan Edghill Jr; Better Hope/LBI NDC Chairman, Zaman Shaw; Vice Chairman Haroon Khan and NDC councillors.
The engagement provided residents with a direct forum to raise community concerns with government officials, while giving the NDC an opportunity to identify areas requiring immediate intervention and improvements in service delivery.