Robeson Benn demolishes Tuschen Kissing Bridge

Oct 11, 2009 News

---

…attractive but unsafe, illegal – Benn

By Gary Eleazar and Andrunie Harris

Minister of Public Works and Transport, Robeson Benn, when asked to comment on the demolition of the Double Day Hotel’s Kissing Bridge at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, said that while the structure is attractive it is unsafe and illegal.
As such, according to Benn, it had to be removed and Ministry officials yesterday descended on the structure and commenced the destruction.

Benn told this newspaper that he had relayed this message to the owner of the hotel Harry Ram Bhola.
The Ministry is currently on a campaign to rid the government reserves of all illegal structures.
Bhola in an attempt to save his Kissing Bridge at the Hotel on Friday, prepared numerous letters and dispatched them to the Minister of Public Works and Communication; the Ministry of Tourism, Office of the President and Go Invest among others.
The bridge was spared then but its fate was sealed
in the letter to Tourism Minister, Manniram Prashad, dealing with the flower garden that has already been destroyed: “On this same very month this hotel was commissioned by you and on this same month it has been destroyed. When beauty is lost in business, there is no business.
“Sir, everyone should be encouraged to plant beautiful flowers to attract tourism and to beautify this beautiful land of Guyana. Flower is love and when people destroy flowers, there is no love. The President is insisting about low carbon and the other part they are destroying it. In other countries people admire flowers and in our country people are just destroying it.”
In his letter to Minister Benn, Bhola stated, “I am wondering if the highway will be 100 feet more wide…I have no problem clearing the parapet edge…But what goes for one goes to all, destroying mine and leave the other business places…I will be very thankful if you look into my problem.”
According to Bhola, the entity had written to the relevant Ministry in the past and was in receipt of a verbal agreement by an Engineer with a promise that documentation will follow.
Bhola added that the hotel was issued with a notice to remove all structures but insisted that it did not have any structures in the area in question. Rather, he had beautiful flowers that decorated the place.
Early yesterday morning, officials from the Public Works Ministry carried out their “duties” and destroyed structures lining bridges leading into the compounds of several residents of the Meten-Meer-Zorg area.
The Ministry’s demolition crew swept down on West Coast Demerara, destroying at least two structures on Government reserves.
The structures were concrete spindles lining the bridges leading to the compound. One of the home owners of the Meten-Meer-Zorg (MMZ) area, admitted that he was given a warning a month ago to get rid of the structures, and as such, holds nothing against the ministry for carrying out their duties.
Another resident of the MMZ area that was subject to the destruction, informed Kaieteur News that men dressed in “reflective vests” arrived, asked no questions and commenced the destruction.
He only recognised them as Ministry workers because of the vehicles that they arrived in.
According to the residents, the Ministry workers’ operations started at Tuschen and made its way along the West Coast Demerara Public Road and way down to the Meten-Meer-Zorg area.
However, while making way back to Georgetown, Kaieteur News reporters observed several of these illegal structures still standing along the Public Road.
The Ministry has been on a campaign to remove structures on the government reserves with one such example being that of the K.P. Thomas’ Building located on the Lamaha Street Railway embankment which was halted due to a High Court Injunction.
On October 5, last, Ministry officials and employees at the KP Thomas Building squared off that the officials attempted to destroy the building.
It was however partially demolished.
Government has since defended its decision to demolish the old train station housing K.P Thomas Construction, saying that the “insult has been brought to an end”.
According to Government’s spokesman, Dr Roger Luncheon, employees of the company faced health risks while K.P Thomas was “flaunting” its powers hiding behind the law.
Announcing that K.P. Thomas’ squatting days are over, the spokesman, at a press conference at the Office of the President, said that all the details of the case will come out in court at the right time.
These include whether rent was paid and the number of removal notices served.
The company will not be treated any differently from any of the other people who have been squatting on the Railway Embankment Line and who have been removed or agreed to remove.
Interestingly, one of the structures that has remained on government reserves is a signboard at the entrance to the Ruimveldt Industrial site.
The sign board advertises Guyana Times and Minister Benn, more that a year ago, had said that it would have been demolished.

---

---