Contractor fails to complete bridge

Sep 30, 2014 News

…causes concern

Not only have they been waiting close to one month for a simple access bridge to be completed

The state in which the contractor left the bridge.

in their community, but residents of Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara, were even forced to take matters into their own hands to ensure that it did not become a hazard.
The bridge in question is one linking Meten-Meer-Zorg to the neighbouring village of De Willem. The contract for the project, according to Alliance for Change Region Three Councillor, Harry Narine Deokinanan, was awarded to a People’s Progressive Party/Civic Councillor about a month ago.
According to him, residents decided to voice their concerns after the contractor dismantled the structure and after three weeks failed to implement remedial works.
A narrow passage was however left and was utilised by many residents, including children to enter and exit the community. There were no signs warning residents against usage of the passage.
However residents would soon learn that accessing the bridge was potentially more detrimental than they had anticipated. This was due to the fact that two young children in an attempt to navigate across the bridge lost their footing and fell into the trench below.
Fortunately, they were both rescued by alert residents, according to reports reaching Deokinanan.
Moreover, the AFC Councillor has expressed his intent to arouse the concern of the relevant authorities in order to have the matter addressed urgently.
“When residents complained to the contractor he told them to go to Sharma TV (Channel Six) to get justice,” said an evidently upset Deokinanan. He continued, “This is an insult to the residents and there is obviously no proper planning by the contractor to do his work.”
Residents of the area have since collaborated to strategically mend the bridge as they eagerly await the completion of the project.
The task of rehabilitating such a bridge, according to the AFC Councillor, is one that any versed contractor would have been able to complete in four days or less. But according to Deokinanan, based on reports, the contractor engaged a nonsensical approach to constructing the bridge as he first dismantled it then proceeded to source materials to complete it.
In fact the development is one that has been regarded as “unfair” by Deokinanan who informed that while there are contractors who are ready and very capable to undertake quality work, those that are incapable are often the ones being awarded the contracts.
As a result, oftentimes projects are of a less than desirable quality.
Deokinanan has linked the situation to his belief that the body responsible for awarding contract works in the Region works in collusion to only give “a contracts to a certain few.”
According to the AFC Councillor, the contractor in question was also responsible for the construction of a vendors’ tarmac in the very Meten-Meer-Zorg area about three years ago. That tarmac is serving no purpose.
Deokinanan disclosed that the multi-million- dollar tarmac which was outfitted with toilet facilities and fence can only be regarded as “a white elephant…and a great waste of taxpayers’ money.”
“They (Regional Democratic Council and Neighbourhood Democratic Council) didn’t even have proper consultations with vendors…They just woke up one morning and decided to give out the contract for the work,” said Deokinanan who raised the matter at a recent Regional Democratic Council statutory meeting.
At that forum Regional Chairman Julius Faerber said that efforts will be made to look into the matter.