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$16M Barabina Road contract faces delay
Almost two years after awarding a $16M contract to rehabilitate Barabina Public Road, Mabaruma, Region One, the structure is yet to be completed. The Regional Administration was forced to provide a boat to the community to facilitate water transport as the road is impassable.
This is according to Regional Chairman Paul Pierre, yesterday. The situation has affected the almost 300 residents who depend on the road to access Mabaruma and Kumaka.
A resident who contacted this publication about the slushy roadway said that the road has been in a deplorable condition for about three years. Residents were pleased when a contract to rehabilitate the structure was awarded to Joshi Construction in the latter part of 2012. They are now disappointed with the delay.
According to the resident, the Regional Democratic Council seems to be ignoring the plight of residents. Up to last week several residents tried to contact the Regional Chairman to find a way to have the contractor comply with the contract.
Pierre, who acknowledged the poor condition of the road, said that the project is being executed under the Ministry of Public Works and monitored by the Region.
He said that on several occasions the Regional Administration spoke to the contractor about the need to complete the project. In addition, Transport Minister Robeson Benn during his recent visit to the District spoke to the contractor.
Pierre said that the contractor claimed poor weather conditions and unavailability of materials to build the revetment were the reasons for the road being incomplete. Incidentally, Joshi Construction was also responsible for constructing the Mabaruma Market Tarmac that was recently completed. That project also faced several delays.
Of recent, delays in completing projects in a timely manner are not new to the Region. Pierre attributed this to the absence of a qualified engineer. He said that the Regional Engineer is responsible for evaluating projects.
However, the last engineer resigned abruptly, leaving several projects without adequate scrutiny. A qualified Engineer has been recently appointed.
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