Government grants…
ACTING Town Clerk, Ms. Yonnette Pluck said yesterday that City Hall is happy to have received the first $10M Government grant to assist with capital works in the municipality.

At a media briefing in the Council Chamber, she said the City Council has agreed to start in the North and South Cummingsburg and Lacytown wards.

Pluck said the undertakings, beginning towards month end, surround drainage, weeding, grading and properly levelling parapets and removing derelicts.

She said tools, spares and protective clothing are among the things that have to to be purchased for the purpose but the Council will adopt a multi-departmental approach so that jobs can be done in more than one communities simultaneously.

Pluck warned of stepped up enforcement and persons found littering would be prosecuted.

She said the labour intensive project would offer employment opportunities to persons living in the respective communities.

Public Relations Officer, Mr. Royston King pointed out that community involvement is a key component of the programme and exhorted citizens to take ownership because it is for their benefit.

The Ministry of Works is working in close association with the municipality since March 19, when President Bharrat Jagdeo met the Mayor and City Councillors to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), for the municipality to access $10M monthly, for 12 months, to help with the related expenditure.

The sums will be disbursed monthly, on condition that the M&CC, to the satisfaction of the Government, implements a work programme and achieves indicators for the preceding month as agreed between the parties.

The underlying reason for the grants is the Government desire to further aid the M&CC with improving the quality of life for Georgetown citizens and the aesthetic standards. (TELESHA PERSAUD)