President Ali’s commitment to upgrade Mara Road network advancing

─ machines being mobilised, materials being stockpiled

The commitment of President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali to upgrade six kilometres of the Mara Road Network, Region Six is being fulfilled, as works are beginning to advance.

President Ali, during a visit to the farming community in December 2021, committed $100 million to upgrade the road after hearing the cries of residents.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill on Saturday visited the community to check on the progress of the works which his ministry is executing.

“You can see the materials are stockpiled; we are planning to do a chip seal road coming out. We went to ground zero which is where the creek is and one of the good things is, we have just resolved by my meeting with the chairman of the area, accommodation for the men for the force account. We were looking at possibly using the police station, but the chairman has just given us the youth choice building,” Minister Edghill said.

“The equipment is coming in here early next week to get started. We got to bring in the pavers, we have to bring in the rollers, we got to bring in excavators so the men would be in the area working until we get this project executed,” he stated.

He said the last time works were undertaken on the road in Mara, could be dated back when now Vice President and then President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo was in office. The Minister also pointed out that in 17 months, government has made three interventions to the road to provide accessibility for residents.

Hemwattie Singh a resident of the community welcomed the intervention by President Ali. Singh said herself and a few others were instrumental in getting the President to visit the area to see the daily challenge they face with the road.

“We are glad for this piece do because this is the most deteriorating piece that when it rains you have to take tractor, hymac to pull your truck, so we are glad that the road is doing,” Singh said.

“We feel excited to get the new road, the government is doing a good for the people in here and we glad because the place will get to develop, we will get our produce more fast out of here to New Amsterdam. You do not have to sleep overnight because right now we does leave two in the morning to catch the morning market when the road bad,” she explained.

President Ali during his visit to Mara had said the road is essential to the community’s overall development.

“If you have to justify this road based on financial assessment alone, it cannot be justified but when you look at the potential that exists in increasing production then it can be justified. So, we have to spend a lot of resources on the production aspect,” President Ali had said.

The road is slated to be completed within six months from the date of commencement.