Chanrrandas handed $50M road contract

Nov 25, 2024 News

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—-says unhappy with govt’s handling of infrastructure sector

Kaieteur News- Charrandas Persaud who gained notoriety when he voted to topple the APNU+AFC Government of which he was a part of back in 2018 said that he was handed a $50M road contract by the current government, but said he was not happy with the way the administration is handling the infrastructure sector.

Persaud’s disclosure raises further concerns about the willy-nilly handing out of contracts by the government. Persaud who is not known for any such works in the past is one of many who have turned contractors overnight under the current government and are being given massive contracts to undertake. In this year’s budget government allocated $221.4 billion to the Ministry of Public Works with $204.1billion to build roads and bridges.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday on the sidelines of an event in Moblissa Village, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, Persaud revealed that he was awarded a $50 million contract to rehabilitate a section of road in Cummings Lodge, Georgetown. When asked about his views on the PPP’s management of the country, Persaud said, “generally, I have some things that are contentious, if you want to call them, things that are happening around here with the PPP that I’m not happy…the issue of contracts.”

He criticised the government’s approach to awarding contracts, alleging favouritism toward individuals claiming to have switched allegiance from the People’s National Congress (PNC) to the PPP. Persaud continued, “And the contractors who are diehard PPP supporters, are getting these $15 million projects…” “That by itself speaks to the stupidity of the people issuing these contracts,” he added.

Persaud disclosed that despite having no prior experience in road construction, he was awarded the $50 million contract. He said he hired technical experts to manage and execute the project, which was completed back in September. “We completed that and I say we because I hired a contractor to do the work. We finished that road in September, two months after we got the contract. Mobilization money was paid. You know what they’re doing. There’s a man named…in housing, he is the director,” Persaud said.

He went on to accuse the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) of withholding payments he claims are rightfully his. Persaud stated that a balance on the contract due to him remains unpaid despite his efforts to resolve the matter. The road project falls under the Ministry of Housing and was handled by the CH&PA. Persaud is contending that money that he earned is being withheld by the ministry, despite him making several attempts to reach out to the Director of Projects to have the issue resolved. He said too that he spoke to the Minister of Housing, Collin Croal but the situation remains unresolved.

“Contract law allows for you to take what they call a retention bond. I presented Omar’s office with a retention bond that I paid 75,000 for if I can’t fix the road and you find something wrong with it in the year, you liquidate the bond and you fix the road with the insurance money, but you are therefore covered to fix the road if it shows up that it’s wrong. They refuse to take the retention bond, so they’re holding my money,” Persaud said. Persaud maintained that the funds in question were earned legitimately and called the ministry’s actions unjustified. He warned, “…It is money that I have earned legally. They’re still holding the money, so that is one thing I could take them to court and win. Do they want a court fight with me?”

Many believe Persaud was rewarded the post of Guyana’s High Commissioner to India by the PPPC Government for bringing down the APNUAFC. However, his time in New Delhi was short-lived. Back in 2022 he was removed as Guyana’s High Commissioner to India after verbally abusing a female animal rights activist one year earlier. Persaud was in August 2021 recorded on camera verbally abusing the woman, Ms. Sonia Ghosh. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said that the matter was closed as the allegations had not been substantiated. However, in a video Persaud was clearly heard speaking in very coarse language to a woman saying: “I don’t need a dog in my yard alright. You want the dog, take it and put it between your legs…you probably want the dog to F#@% you…that’s what you want. I don’t care… I don’t care who you are. F#@% you!” President Irfaan Ali later said Persaud had agreed to return to Guyana after he had spoken with him. “Notwithstanding all of this, Mr. Charrandass has agreed with me that in keeping with the best interest of Guyana, and the image of Guyana, that he would return home from his posting in India,” President Ali had said.

(Chanrrandas handed $50M road contract )

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• Charrandas Persaud, Contract, housing, Road

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