–AG Nandlall says, emphasises consultations are targetting cleaner, safer and more organised neighbourhoods
THE government’s Model Village initiative is aimed at transforming communities across Guyana by improving infrastructure, public spaces, safety and the overall quality of life of residents, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall has said.
The Attorney General made this known during this week’s episode of his weekly programme, Issues in the News, during which he said that the initiative represents an opportunity to create communities that are cleaner, greener, safer and more aesthetically pleasing, while providing residents with improved spaces for recreation and leisure.
He said the initiative has already seen public consultations held in communities across several regions, with thousands of residents participating in engagements led by President, Dr Irfaan Ali and senior government officials.
Nandlall pointed to consultations held in communities including Mon Repos, Good Hope and “Melanie” on the East Coast of Demerara, as well as engagements in Region Five, Region Six and Region Two.
According to the Attorney General, the President has been accompanied by ministers, technical officers and representatives of key state agencies, allowing the consultations to also function as a form of mini-Cabinet outreach where residents can raise concerns and have matters addressed.
“I want to assure you that it is embraced by the widest cross-section of Guyanese,” Nandlall said, as he described the initiative as a beautiful concept.
Against this backdrop, the minister explained that the Model Village concept is linked to the government’s broader commitment to delivering a better quality of life for citizens, arguing that Guyana now has the resources and opportunity to pursue community standards that were previously beyond the country’s reach.
Nandlall said the initiative envisages communities with improved streets, concrete drains, street lighting and CCTV cameras, alongside greenery, flowering trees and better-maintained public spaces.
The plans also include fire hydrants at strategic locations, the removal of garbage, derelict vehicles and other materials from communities, and the upgrading of playgrounds and open spaces to provide parks and recreational facilities for children and elderly residents.
He went on to add that the initiative also seeks to address activities that can create nuisances in residential areas by relocating vending, mechanic shops, spray-painting operations, furniture-making businesses and certain agricultural activities to identified areas.
Provision is also being considered for designated parking areas for industrial equipment and heavy-duty vehicles, while recreational facilities are expected to form part of the development of communities, including areas along the Atlantic seawall.
Nandlall said the broad objective is to create communities that are “clean, healthy, nuisance-free” and provide safe spaces for leisure and physical activities.
Meanwhile, he criticised political figures who have sought to discourage residents from participating in Model Village consultations, arguing that community development should not be treated as a political issue.
According to Nandlall, opposition to the engagements could ultimately deprive residents, regardless of their political affiliations, of potential improvements to their communities.
He maintained that the Model Village Initiative has been embraced by Guyanese from different backgrounds and political leanings because of the potential benefits to everyday life.
The Attorney General urged citizens to examine the plans and presentations shared through government platforms, noting that the initiative represents an important opportunity to create communities that better reflect the quality of life Guyanese aspire to.
