Latest update April 8th, 2025 7:13 AM
Contractor, Regional Engineer defy Regional Chairman’s cease work orders
Residents, perturbed over shoddy works done, and a waste of taxpayers’ money, are calling for an investigation and action against an engineer and a contractor. One week after a Canje road was rehabilitated it began to deteriorate.
As Government claims to be spending millions of dollars on infrastructure works in Berbice, residents are coming forward to challenge and expose some of the shoddy works being done. The residents
The work done to Fourth Cross Street, Canefield Canje
are up in arms and want Government to do something.
The multiplicity of shoddy and substandard work being executed by the many contractors throughout Berbice is devastating according to a resident. Another accused the government of corruption and of siding with the contractors to run rough shod over the communities.
However the regional administration is defending its stewardship. It claims that it has its fingers on the pulse and has pulled many of the contractors over for briefing. It has ordered a number of the works to be redone.
However the residents are not too amused as they say it’s just talk. They gave examples of the contractors defying the orders of the regional administration and of colluding with the Regional Engineer’s department.
Residents of Canefield, East Canje stated that they sought the intervention of the relevant authorities with respect to recent slapdash works done in Fourth Cross Street, Canefield, East Canje, which was not done to specifications.
They stated that the contractor completed the work even after he was directed by the Regional Chairman and the Regional Vice Chairman to cease work and remedy the situation.
According to a resident, Michael Hintzen, who is also a member of the Regional Works Committee, he noticed that the contractor, Peter Lewis, was not doing the work according to specifications. He immediately brought it to the contractor’s attention. However the man went ahead and continued with the work.
He immediately contacted the Regional Vice Chairman Mr. Bhoopaul Jagroop who ordered the contractor to cease all work and correct the faults. He was also spoken to by the Regional Chairman David Armogan.
The regional engineer, Rupesh, was also directed to visit the site and ensure that the contractor rectify the works according to specifications and the bill of quantities. However according to Hintzen, the engineer refused to visit the site and has not done so up to this point.
The work stopped for a while; however after two weeks the contractor returned to finish off the work.
Regional Chairman David Armogan stated emphatically that the contractor Peter Lewis will not be paid. He stated that after receiving reports that the work was of a substandard quality, he gave instructions that the work should stop and be rectified. He also gave instruction that the Regional Engineer visit the site and give an assessment.
“He will not be paid, because he defied instructions. We will have to look into the claims that the engineer did not follow instructions. We will definitely have to come down on staff and contractors who are not giving us value for our money.”
The road should have been constructed with crusher run. None was used. However a makeshift material consisting of reef and white sand which consisted of mud was substituted.
The street is warped and has already started to deteriorate, with the bricks becoming loose just one week after its completion.
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