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A mystery Roy Beepat should explain
Sep 08, 2015 Letters
Dear Editor,
I am responding to the letter of Mr. Roy Beepat, owner of Giftland Mall (“A simple call to me would have given these truths, Mr. Kissoon.” KN Monday, Sep 7, 2015). Mr. Beepat wrote in connection with an earlier column in which I stated that the access road from the Railway Embankment to his mall (a very long road) was built in June of this year by the Government.
Mr. Beepat explained that I was incorrect. The Government merely asphalted what his company has built, the road itself. If I concede that point to Mr. Beepat then it gives birth to a mystery that makes it obligatory on Mr. Beepat to unravel. To fully understand how this mystery came about, readers should digest the following words of Mr. Beepat; “When we moved to Turkeyen, this was not even a tract, it was a dam which we had to excavate, discharge the sludge, build shoulders, build drainage, provide concrete walkways, provide street lighting, which is powered not by Government but by the Mall itself. Our Engineer, Mr Marcel Gaskins provided the engineering design for the sub surface, which comprised international standards of road building specifications using materials and processes which were verified by the Public Works Division and we undertook the works of laying sand, loam, crusher run stones. We had to grade and roll these, add quarry shifting and roll this again after which the Government provided a top coating of asphalt.” (end of quote)
Even a primary school kid reading these words of Mr. Beepat would know that it means; that the owner’s company virtually built the road. Here is the mystery. Why would Mr. Beepat spend 26 million US dollars on a mall that includes building an access road and then ask the Government to cover the road with asphalt. I quote his words again, “…government provided a top coating of asphalt…”
Here is where the mystery comes in. The top coat of asphalt was requested by Giftland because Minister David Patterson told me so and I quoted the Minister in my column. after spending 26 million American dollars, how much more did that top coat cost that the company could not have done it themselves? Could not Mr. Beepat afford to cover the cost of the top coat? Wouldn’t that have been the logical thing to do and thus there never would have been a Freddie Kissoon column of “misinformation” on the subject?
Here is a simple hypothetical example that to my mind raises the issue of the mystery. A son spends millions to resuscitate an old car. New engine, new body, new electrical fittings, the works. When the refurnishing job is finished he went to his father to ask for money for a mere windscreen. If the father insulted him he looked for it. One would have thought that pride and dignity would have been involved here, meaning he would have taken his task to its logical climax and claim the glory for himself. But he went and solicited money for a mere windscreen. How do you explain that?
Frederick Kissoon
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