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PPP/C Bartica Rally…Hinds promises new power station for Bartica by next year
– insists Amaila Hydro project could have created 2,000 jobs
By Sharmain Grainger
Government has committed to starting a new power station at Bartica by next year, if elected by the people on May 11.
The new power station project was one of the developmental promises flaunted by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) during its campaign rally in Bartica on Saturday. According to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, by the middle of the year “once we return to Government” a new and larger power station will be in place for Barticians. This of course will be complemented by other aspects to boost the delivery of electricity in Bartica, added the Prime Minister. These, he said, will include raised transmission voltage and new transmission lines.
A section of the Bartica rally
He cautioned that realizing this ambitious goal will cause some disruptions from time to time, but “I expect that you will understand and will welcome these new developments.”
Hinds, unlike some of the speakers taking to the podium during the First Avenue Didi Ramnauth Square venue rally, made specific reference to developmental works that will directly benefit the Bartica residents.
Though now improved, residents of Bartica have in recent times been the beneficiaries of less than acceptable electricity service. During a period last year, Bartica was without electricity for several days.
But according to Prime Minister Hinds, such problems have also occurred in Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast. He revealed that in the case of Anna Regina “when we came in (Government) there was more or less nothing there…we put in two new generators but now that was 20 years ago and the time of good life for a generator is just about 20 years…so we hurried there to put in a new power station.”
The same thing, he said, is being done for Bartica. Moreover, he disclosed that Government has already asked that the Regional Democratic Council propose the location for a new power station in Bartica. At present, the Bartica Power station is situated at First Avenue, close to the market area.
The Bartica Power Station
“This is a big example, my comrades, to see that development moves from stage to stage and when you get to another stage you have sometimes to undo what you did earlier. It (First Avenue) might have been a good location…30, 40 years ago but Bartica has grown, it is no longer a good location,” informed Hinds.
In his electricity focused presentation Saturday, Hinds also shared his conviction with the audience that the fall in gold prices resulting in a reduction in production that created an unemployment void, could have easily been countered if the Amaila Falls Hydro Project was in place.
According to Hinds, the Hydro Project could have commenced two years ago and likely be half way along, allowing for the employment of some 2,000 individuals. “We would have been two years closer to enjoying a generating cost of electricity that would have been less of what it cost us now to produce electricity with petroleum.”
Nevertheless, Hinds insisted that “there is no comparison today with electricity in Guyana compared with where it was in 1992. I don’t know if you can remember what the state of electricity (was) in 1992. There were many, many citizens all across our country… (who) were not having electricity for about eight hours or 12 hours a day.” He recalled travelling to Linden and hearing shouts of jubilation after a prolonged period of power outage would have ended.
But this is a thing of the past, asserted the Prime Minister, who told the gathering at Bartica that citizens are today able to enjoy a 95 per cent power outage- free service throughout Guyana.
According to Hinds, there were a mere 75,000 persons recorded in the Guyana Power and Light system as opposed to the 175,000 since the PPP/C came into power. “What does that mean? It means during these time we have had to be hurrying up to put in new generation, new transmission to replace the old ones and in addition we had to make another (generating) set and another set to keep up with the growing demand…”
The result of this transformation of the electricity sector, he disclosed, was an improvement of power generation from 10 megawatts to about 110 megawatts instead which he claims the country is now benefiting from.
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