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PHILIPSBURG--In response to an article published in the Friday, October 31 edition of The Daily Herald based on a complaint letter received by this newspaper about the continued, deplorable state of Chin Cactus Drive, Minister of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure VROMI Maurice Lake announced that his promise will be kept, but that additional procedures need to be followed, including presenting the project to the Council of Ministers.
"A promise made is a promise kept," was the first point stated in the VROMI press release. "The project will start soon.
"It went on tender and the contractor has been selected. The contractor brought in some documents on Thursday and has also been busy acquiring the materials needed to execute the over NAf. 484,000 project.
"Since I've been serving as minister for over a year, I have learnt that you have to follow procedures and make sure everything has been done correctly. You have to make sure everything meets the rules and regulations that are in place.
"I will present to the Council of Ministers on Tuesday the project in order for it to move forward. I am a man of my word, but at the same time, I have to make sure that the proper procedures have been followed for the successful execution of the road project," the minister said.
The complaint letter said that in a public meeting in Sucker Garden this past August, "during the election campaign, the minister of public works announced that the paving of Chin Cactus Drive will begin the very next day. Public Works visited the site and mentioned that the plan [underground pipes and GEBE cables, etc. – Ed.] and the contractor to execute the work were approved."
In an invited comment after the press release was issued, Minister Lake said that a minister can order the start of the project, which was already tendered and part of the Capital Budget for 2014, but that if the ministry realises the contractor still needed to live up to certain documents and follow a set procedure, then it needs to wait.
He added that in essence, the project is approved, but that it still needs to go through the Council of Ministers and that there can always be technical hiccups that cause delays.
The press release added that the minister passed through the area after the passing of the hurricane, and spoke to some of the residents about the situation.
It said he took note of the article describing the state of the street after Hurricane Gonzalo. However, it should be noted that residents have filed complaints since 2008, and that sand thrown onto the road, presumably as a temporary fix, had been partially washed away before Gonzalo and completely washed away afterwards. This leaves "large holes and rocks protruding out..."
"I also noticed some downed poles that need to be addressed in order to improve safety and security in this particular area. This needs to be looked into by the relevant responsible party," Lake said. "I would like to apologise to the residents of Chin Cactus Drive for any inconvenience caused with the delay of executing this project, and seek their understanding as within short we move forward with the execution."
