Eccles, Supply Health Centre construction… Contract not renewed for engineer recommended for disciplinary action

Sep 08, 2018 News

Engineer Yogesh Narain

An engineer recommended for disciplinary action due to discrepancies discovered during the ongoing construction of the health centres at Eccles and Supply has moved on, before the matter could be concluded at the Ministry of Communities.
The health centres along the East Bank of Demerara are expected to provide relieve to hundreds of residents.
Region Four’s Regional Executive Officer (REO), Pauline Lucas wrote the Ministry last month requesting disciplinary action against engineer, Yogesh Narain.
Narain, a Cuba scholarship recipient, has since informed Kaieteur News that his five-year contract with Government ended on September 1, and he has since moved on to the private sector. He explained that he has since sent a letter to the REO to essentially clear his name of any wrongdoing.
Narain refuted claims by regional officials that he authorized payments without the REO’s consent in relation to the Eccles Health Centre.
“An engineer certifies works executed and recommends payments. The Regional Executive Officer must approve such recommendations before any payments can be made,” Narain stated.
Further, he acknowledged that the construction of the Eccles Health Centre should have been completed, however an extension was granted on May 8, 2018 for a period of two months by the Regional Executive Officer.
“The extended date would have been on June 27, 2018, during which time I would have been on leave,” Narain pointed out.
There are unresolved issues regarding the Eccles project as regional officials discovered that the contractor had installed 28 gauge zinc sheets and not the 26 gauge which was in the bill of quantities.
It was pointed out that the 26 gauge is a superior quality and standard of zinc sheet to the cheaper 28 gauge, which was used by the contractor.
The region is said to be demanding that the contractor change the sheets. It is unclear if the contractor will comply with this demand.
In relation to the Supply project and issues relating to the quality of works, Narain said he was never part of the supervision of this project, since it commenced while he was on leave.
According to Narain, on August 11, 2018, the senior engineer requested that he verify the steel layout for the Supply Health Centre, since the contractor was scheduled to cast the foundation, and he would have to recommend payments for the steel works.

“Upon my arrival, it was noted that casting of the foundation had already commenced, however, I inspected the steel layout for the section which was not cast and informed the senior engineer accordingly,” Narain noted.

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