Equipment to arrive in a day or two – Benn

Aug 12, 2010 News

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In a July 14 press conference hosted by Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, it was disclosed that the road building equipment being brought in by contractor Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall of Synergy Holdings Inc., for the Amaila Falls Road Project, would arrive in Guyana one week later, on July 21.
When this did not materialize a new arrival date was given – July 24 -and this too failed to become a reality.
According to the contract signed, Motilall was to have begun procuring the equipment from April 15, last, the start-up date of the project.
Since then Motilall has imported four All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and one grader.
The Minister subsequently explained that it was a tropical depression in the Atlantic that had caused the barge with the equipment to be stalled somewhere between the Bahamas and Grenada. That weather system has since dissipated and the barge’s arrival is now imminent.
Speaking with this newspaper yesterday, the Minister said that the barge will be here, “in a day or two.”
Benn said that persons should not harbour the perception that the equipment is not going to be here, emphasizing that there were legitimate reasons for the delay. He said that when the vessel is docked all of the details will be made available to members of the media.
As it relates to the delay in the road project in general and how the late arrival of the equipment would affect the completion schedule, Benn said that he was not in a position to give a definitive pronouncement.
Recently, President Bharrat Jagdeo, when asked about the ability of Synergy Holdings Inc. to undertake the project, given the fact that there is a lack of any evidence that the contractor has built roads anywhere, said that the company was awarded the contract based on the recommendation of a technical evaluation team.
Jagdeo explained that he has made it clear that politicians must be kept out of the process of awarding contracts, adding that Cabinet only gives no objections to recommendations made by the technical teams following their evaluations.
He suggested that maybe at some time in the future a meeting would be held with the members of the technical team that did the evaluation and made the recommendations, to find out why Motilall was the best bid, but this is yet to happen.
Senior Engineer and member of the evaluation team for that contract Walter Willis, when contacted about the President’s suggestion, said that whilst he has heard of it, he is still not in receipt of any such instruction from Jagdeo.
Jagdeo said that he has seen issues against the contractor but “he (the Contractor) has to deliver or he will face the full penalty.”
When the equipment arrives, Motilall’s company Synergy Holding Inc., is expected to commence construction of some 110km of virgin road through the forest as well as 85km of road where trails already exist.
According to the agreement signed with NICIL, Motilall must produce a continuous, all-weather road to be built incorporating existing roads where possible and building new ones as needed to accommodate automobile, bus, and heavy truck access from Georgetown to Amaila Falls.
However even before the delays in the arrival of the equipment, the timeframe for the completion of the road was dubbed impractical.
It was pointed out by a reputable entity that 110 km of road in eight months (240 days) means constructing some quarter of a mile of finished road daily, “a tall order if one is to clear virgin forest.”
Motilall is also responsible for the construction and supply of a pontoon crossing on each bank of the Essequibo River at or in the vicinity of Butakari and on the Kuribrong River at or in the vicinity of Portage Falls in accordance with the specifications set out.
The pontoon must be capable of carrying 100 tonnes minimum. The roads (whether new or existing) must also be capable to carry 20 tonnes/axle vehicles with the design maximum unit carrying capacity of 100 tonnes.
All roads must also be stabilized and capped with a minimum six inches of laterite or similar materials compacted to 95 per cent proctor and suitable for use as the final wear surface.
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Linden/Lethem Road…

Fresh fears as rains, swollen rivers delay repair works

Heavy rains are continuing to hamper repair works on the Linden/Lethem Road with a fuel truck expected yesterday to deliver crucial supplies to the Region Nine area.
Rains continued Tuesday night as authorities predict the weather pattern to continue for a few more weeks.
Lethem residents, reporting a standstill in construction sector there after the vital link was cut off a few weeks ago from flooding and erosion of the roadway, yesterday expressed fresh fears that it may be awhile before traffic is allowed to resume operating on the road.
According to Minister of Public Works, Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, a fuel truck with over a week’s supply was on the road yesterday and Lethem residents may start receiving the shipment in a matter of hours.
While heavy trucks have been banned from the Linden/Lethem Road, the truck was allowed through, and arrangements have been put into place to ensure that a transfer to smaller pickups could be made.
On Tuesday, Lethem residents said that there was almost no fuel and a power station there had one day’s supply left.
Residents were reportedly forced to buy-back fuel from Brazilians to whom they had supplied in the first instance.
Brazilians on the border have been conducting a brisk fuel trade with Lethem because of the lower price.
According to Minister Benn, the Ireng and Takutu River have swollen from the rains gushing flood waters to the Pirara area, on the Lethem Road. He admitted that this may further hamper repair works and while pickups could go through, there will be problems for the minibuses.
Almost two weeks ago, IntraServ, a local bus company which operates a number of 47-seaters, announced that it was suspending the Georgetown to Lethem service because of the conditions of the road.
Last week, government said it was closing the road to effect crucial repairs. The road is still closed because of the rain delays.
With the Linden/Lethem Road closed – a key link for loggers using the Mabura area – the timber and mining sectors are also said to be heavily affected.

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