A JAMAICA Labour Party (JLP) team which toured sections of the Southeast Clarendon constituency last Wednesday, noted serious concerns among residents about problems associated with two ongoing government projects in the constituency.
The touring group, led by Central Clarendon MP Mike Henry and including JLP candidate for Southeast Clarendon, Ruddy Spencer, noted that major reconstruction work which had started suddenly on the Chateau main road recently, was being hastily done without the required engineering supervision, resulting in great inconvenience and danger to private property in the area.
Mr. Henry contended that while the MP for Southeast Clarendon had for some time been casting blame on him (Henry) for the delays in getting work started on the project, which is located on the border of the two constituencies, the work had been suddenly started ahead of the upcoming polls, without any finalisation of the necessary engineering input.
The resultant problems, noted the JLP team, included a situation where sections of the roadway had been lifted too high, leading to serious concerns about water flow into homes in the area, and about other drainage needs, including the requirement for a ditch basin to be installed. Additionally, there were concerns that the new roadway was being extended to the fringes of walls, light poles and residences in general, along its path, with no consultation with the citizens to be affected.
A letter dated September 15, 2002 and signed by a number of the affected citizens of the area, was presented to the JLP team.
In response, Mr. Henry told the residents that their concerns would be taken up by his party, as the JLP's position on road construction, as was outlined in its manifesto, was that before a road is fixed, the relevant engineering studies, including drainage needs, should be completed. He called for an urgent revisit of the engineering aspects of the project.
In another area of the constituency, the JLP team noted that a pipeline laid long ago from the Twin Palms well through various areas leading up into Moores district was still without water. Mr. Henry questioned if that situation was another example of the Government's "lick and promise" approach to public administration.
"Is this because the NWC's (National Water Commission) revenues are so down that they can only pay for labour and are unable to fund any capital development?" questioned the MP. He noted that a similar situation arose recently, in which the NWC had problems completing a water supply project in the Central Clarendon constituency.
