$57.1M for rehabilitation of roads, sluice in Region Three

Contracts valued $57,167,300 were signed on Monday for the rehabilitation of two roads and a sluice in Region Three, at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) office.

AMIC General Contracting was awarded the contract for the road works in the Goed Fortuin Squatting Area to the tune of $39,142,400. The roads will be done in asphaltic concrete and are expected to be completed within four months.

Rehabilitation works on the sluice at Zeelandia, Wakenaam Island to the tune of $18,024,900 was awarded to C. Persaud and Son Construction and Supplies. Work on the sluice is expected to be completed in three months.  

At the signing, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall, MP, noted that development work will also be done in the region through the capital programme, which is being extended across the country.

From the RDC’s budget approximately $230 million is being expended on the upgrades of community roads. This is in conjunction with His Excellency, the President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s initiative to rehabilitate additional community roads through the Ministry of Public Works in the region.

The minister said the event is a manifestation of the president’s commitment to upgrade and improve the country’s infrastructure. He also noted that the government is actively working to ensure it comes to fruition.

“Roads are very important; sluices are very important. This is an agricultural region and, in this case, Wakenaam is an island, so naturally the flow of water out of the island is imperative and we hope that the contractor takes this very seriously. In terms of the roads, we have over 1,000 community roads that have to be done, and we have been steadfastly working to upgrade and, in some cases, even build new community roads within Region Three.”

Meanwhile, the minister suggested that the involvement of the National Drainage & Irrigation Authority (NDIA) and the Ministry of Public Works to provide guidance and ensure that the project is executed properly.

Present at the contract signing were Regional Chairman, Inshan Ayube, Regional Executive Officer, Jagnarine Somwar and Vice Chairperson, Omesh Satyanand.