Flood relief grants shows Gov’t’s responsive nature – AG Nandlall

Over $123.7 million in flood relief cash grant was distributed to 1363 farmers in several Region Three communities on Saturday. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Hon. Anil Nandlall S.C. M.P. led the distribution exercise.

The communities that benefitted include Endeavour, Mc Gillivray, Belle Vue and La Heureuse Aventure. The farmers from these areas who depend on their produce for a livelihood expressed their gratitude for the Government’s intervention.

Mr. Vishnu Lilkant said the money “will go a long way, wonderful. I could get some manure to resuscitate those that have died and get new plants again to keep the farm going. It is wonderful, great.”

“It will help me in many ways. I lost a lot of fruit and even kitchen garden. I do not care about the kitchen garden but the fruit trees. I got lots and the pear tree, lots die. I am so thankful and grateful that I get this little grant. I can always buy back plants and plant it,” were the words of Ms. Jasoda Chand.

Mr. Mohamed Mahamud expressed similar views, stating that he was “very happy to actually receive something that I can actually buy some manure and buy some limestone and so on because in Canal, the land is Pegasse and when the rain falls, and what happens is that the land left very silky.”

The Attorney General said the distribution of the grant is a display of the responsive nature of the Government which was promised to the people of Guyana. He also reminded the farmers that it is a style of governance that is displayed by every Minister of Government to attend to the needs to the people.

“We could not have predicted that there would have been a flood, it is an act of God but it happened and it destroyed a lot of our agricultural sector and it destroyed your farms, destroyed your ability to produce. It affected your lives in a devastating way and we are here to respond to that catastrophe and to offer you some assistance,” the Attorney General said.

Additionally, the Minister assured the farmers that every farmer who suffered loss will receive assistance as promised by President Dr. Mohamed Ifraan Ali. This comes on the heels of some farmers highlighting that their names were not found on the list which would see them receiving Government’s assistance.

“What we are promising you is that once you make representation, once you are excluded and you make representation and we can verify that you are a person who were affected and you qualify based on the criteria that we have sent, you will get your relief and that is what is important,” he assured farmers.

Several other Ministers of the Government were also in the region spearheading the distribution of flood relief grants.

The Government has set aside some $7.6 billion for this initiative as a way of supporting farmers who suffered losses in the recent countrywide flood.