IMC Chairman reports on mixed year for Linden

Jan 08, 2012 News

Interim Management Committee Chairman, Orrin Gordon, in his first Press Conference for the New Year has told the media that generally the past year was a good one.
It was good for some entities and for the dispensation of services to the community. However, but a few fell dismally short, among them, the sanitation arm of the municipality, which was guilty of the indiscriminate dumping of garbage, and infrequent pick-ups resulting in huge pileups in the commercial centres.
Gordon was especially critical of the municipal administration which he called incompetent. The system of collection was extremely poor and therefore unacceptable, he said.
He pointed out that there was no programme for cleaning the town over the holidays with the result that there were excess garbage pileups.
Gordon added that with better management and maintenance of the Council vehicles, such a situation would not exist. He noted that out of ten pieces of equipment only three are presently working, due to poor maintenance.
While the entities that provided electricity to the town, such as LUSCSL and LEI came in for high praise for relatively stable power supply, the Guyana Water Incorporated came in for some criticism. The IMC Chairman pointed out that significant amounts of fecal matter were found in the water that flows into residents’ homes.
“Apparently GWI is not doing a very good job!” he declared.
And even with three wells in Amelia’s Ward residents there still complain of inadequate pressure to their homes, Gordon said.
He however noted that some $23 million is expected to be spent on infrastructure, which is expected to improve the current service.
Gordon spoke of the fires that occurred in 2011, which resulted in many persons losing their homes, and he called for better and improved firefighting equipment, to deal with such eventualities.
Several NGO’s, including the Linden Fund USA, the Linden Fund Trust, the Linden Care Foundation and the media were commended for their services to the Town.
The IMC Chairman however said that he was disappointed that the Linden Enterprise Network which replaced LEAP is currently not functioning as it ought to because of what he described as ‘dalliance’.
He expressed the hope that with the new dispensation there would be some ‘movement’ within LEN.
The opening up of Citizens Bank in Linden, showed that people ‘are banking’ on us, Gordon said, noting that this expression of confidence augurs well for the community.
Infrastructural works were roundly condemned by Gordon, who described most as leaving a lot to be desired.
“I have a serious difficulty with the building of drains with cement blocks- these drains are not standing up”, he lamented.
He described the condition of some roads as disgusting; even those that were recently rehabilitated.
Gordon also expressed concern that for many projects carried out in Linden, few Lindeners are employed, with the result that monies which could be spent in the community end up going elsewhere.
He pointed to a recent project where 80 persons were needed, but 600 turned up, with the result that the work that should have taken six weeks took ten days. Gordon said that scenario spoke volumes of the need for employment in the Town.
Gordon was also concerned that no resident of Bamia, which is a stronghold of the ruling PPPC, received a laptop.
Persons are suffering in the Wismar Market, Gordon noted, but instead of the Government spending money to improve and enhance the infrastructure around the facility, $4 million was spent to build a tarmac at West Watooka, which to date remains unused.
Other concerns cited by Gordon included the prevalence of abuse, and the need for a facility to house these victims, and finding ways to take care of pensioners who have to travel long distances, to receive their meager pensions. Apart from being tedious for the senior citizens these trips are also costly.
Part of the subvention for 2010, is still to be spent, and Gordon pointed out that some roads which need patching will be done.
He is however exhorting residents to agitate for more.
Notwithstanding these concerns Gordon said we need to embrace the times which he described as exciting and challenging.

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IMC Chairman reports on mixed year for Linden

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