By Kiana WilburgMinister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, said yesterday, that Cabinet has approved $75M for drainage works. Considering the fact that the matter is one of national importance,China Jerseys Wholesale, the money will be drawn from the Contingencies Fund.Public Infrastructure Minister, David PattersonDuring a press conference which was held at his office in Kingston, Patterson told reporters that as of yesterday afternoon, water had receded considerably in several areas in and around Georgetown.But some areas on the East Coast are still under several inches of water.“I was informed that in Black Bush Polder, water is still settled there and unfortunately,Jerseys NFL Cheap, I was just advised that in Mahaica and the Mahaicony area, water is still high. But for all the other areas, the water has been discharged,” the Public Infrastructure Minister added.He said, too,Cheap Jerseys From China, that all six pumps in Georgetown are working. He said that the pump at the Lamaha boundary required some work as it was in a “bad state”. The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) completed the works needed on that pump.The Minister said that the Cummings Canal is also being cleared by the National Drainage and Irrigation Administration, while the city council is clearing the area in the vicinity of Muneshwer’s Limited on Water Street.Patterson said that the $75M will go towards the desilting of the outfalls in the areas of Kingston, Lamaha Street, Sussex Street and Meadow Bank South. He noted, however, that the expenditure will not be limited to this as inland clearing is expected to be done to several drainage tunnels.“Some of the money will also cover emergency crews which will clear blockages in and around our internal drains. There will also be a hotline number so that residents can call about blockages or floods in their areas and the crew will come and take care of that,” the Minister said.He said that the team will comprise officials from the Mayor and City Council and the Ministries of Communities and Public Infrastructure. He will also be appointing a coordinator for the initiative which is expected to last for about four weeks.Patterson emphasized that the emergency works over the next few weeks do not represent the solution to the country’s age-old problem of flooding. It is only an attempt to ensure that flooding is reduced, should there be continued heavy rainfall over the next few weeks.The Minister said that Cabinet has also approved the establishment of a task force inclusive of civil society bodies that will work towards finding a long term solution.The Terms of Reference for the task force are still being worked out.? Patterson said that the Ministry will consult with the Guyana Bar Association in this regard, to ensure that the terms harmonize with a number of laws such as the Sea Defence Act and the Utilities Act.The task force should become operational within two weeks.He said, too, that he has received grants for funding from Japan, and that the officials will be in Guyana until August. The European Union has expressed a keen interest in providing financial aid.The politician said that he has to consult with Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, on accessing these funds.He said that the special task force will be focusing on drainage, traffic management and rehabilitation works.“Over the last four days, I have been contacted by private and public sector officials who have ideas and would have done studies and read different things. We hope to have consultations and gather all the ideas needed for realistic, long term solutions to drainage,Wholesale Jerseys 2017,” he added.Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, spoke about the task force also addressing the issue of drainage from a health perspective.She noted that during the period of floods, there usually is an increase in water and vector borne cases. She noted, however, that the Ministry of Health is prepared to do its part and has put all health centres on alert to treat such cases during this period.Dr. Cummings said that citizens can feel free to contact the Ministry of Health on its hotline number-2271316-for any assistance.The previous administration had spent $500M on a cleanup campaign which included some of the very works being pursued by the APNU+AFC government.Patterson told the media that he was not in a position to say where “the taxpayers’ monies” went, but guaranteed that it will be the subject of a forensic audit which would reveal the truth.“We intend to look at it and it is our baby,Discount NFL Jerseys, however malnourished, or deformed it is. How it got so, that is a question for the forensic auditors. But for th

Some executives of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) say that they are tickled,Jerseys From China, almost to tears, by a recent report coming out of Government’s anti-corruption unit which is recommending criminal charges against former PPP Ministers who were involved in a Pradoville 2 deal.PPP General Secretary, Clement RoheeThe report from the State Asset Recovery Unit said that prime land making up the Pradoville 2 scheme,Jerseys From China, was secretly sold to the former Ministers and known friends and associates of the previous regime.At the time of the sale, the report said, the lands were grossly undervalued and sold substantially lower than the market value thereby depriving the state of its full benefits.The PPP, on Thursday, issued a statement to the media stating that it rejects the findings of the report and views the entire Pradoville 2 debacle as a “nancy story” meant only to distract from the real issue at hand.The Opposition party said that a wide cross section of the Guyanese society expressed nothing but disgust in the face of the shameless and unconscionable salary increases made recently by the APNU+AFC coalition government .In a desperate effort to wage a fight-back, it said that the government Ministers one by one, tried to defend the increases. The party reminded that first it was Minster of State, Joseph Harmon, who told the public that, he has no apology to give for the increases followed by Attorney General Basil Williams who insisted that it was justified.The Opposition said that Williams’ remarks were then supported by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, who had said that the salary increases for Members of Parliament were necessary to outline an income for Vice Presidents which did not exist before, to correct anomalies in the payment structure and because the work load has increased.The PPP continued,NFL Jerseys Store, “Minster of Governance, Raphael Trotman, then came out in Viva Zapata style defending their hefty pay hikes.? Others are bound to follow suit as the coalition sinks deeper and deeper in the quagmire which they have found themselves.”The Opposition party said that one of the tools in Government’s damage control tool box is the technique called “diversion”.? It said that it is used to divert attention away from an issue such as the current salary increase debacle, which the Granger-led APNU+AFC coalition administration has come under severe criticism for on a daily basis.The PPP said, “The government is hoping that by diverting the public’s attention away from itself and the obnoxious salary increase doled out to its Ministers, to the so-called Pradoville 2 inquisition by leaking the “results of the investigation and recommendations” by the shady and cabalistic Asset Recovery Unit,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, whose legality, composition and Terms of Reference remains a mystery, that they will succeed in re-focusing the public’s attention from itself and the current morass to the fabricated Pradoville 2 Nancy story.”It continued, “Sadly,Wholesale Jerseys, however, the apologists for the Granger-led coalition administration have failed miserably in their efforts at deception and will continue to do so”.The most recent Trotman’s “trust us, believe us” pleadings have been clumsy and must be seen as further blundering by his administration. “The attempt to divert attention away from the salary issue is quite obvious to all and sundry.”The Opposition questioned, “How can the APNU+AFC be “trusted” when in July, 2015 government spokespersons were all denying the hefty increases in their pay packets, but were in fact already benefitting from the increase which was made retroactive with effect from July 2015?”The PPP said that these efforts are another manifestation of the incompetence of the Granger-led administration to fool the people.It said that Harmon’s “arrogant” ‘No apologies to make’ outburst, re-enforces their determination that they will not budge on the issue. The PPP said that a public apology for Harmon’s misconduct is absolutely necessary.The PPP said however, that it will not be daunted by the on-going APNU+AFC witch-hunting and campaign of vilification.It emphasized that it will remain convinced that at length, the truth will out and the Party’s unsinkable faith in the people in general,Discount Football Jerseys, and its members and supporters in particular, will eventually see the APNU+AFC being a sorry sight.“All the evil and diabolical acts they have committed will be dashed to pieces and consigned to the dustbin of history,” it concluded.