Georgetown is constantly plagued by flooding but the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) believes it can properly manage this long-standing woe if it is given the chance to manage the city after the upcoming Local Government Elections.
This is according to the party’s General Secretary, who is also Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.
While addressing two public meetings across Georgetown on Thursday night, the General Secretary acknowledged that Georgetown is often troubled by significant flooding whenever there is excess rainfall. That flooding, he said, is in part linked to poor management of the drainage network across the city.
But if his party is given the chance to manage the city, Dr. Jagdeo believes that the Georgetown will be better managed and citizens will no longer be plagued by flooding or other woes.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who spoke at the PPP/C public meeting at Well Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
“…We will fix, once and for all, flooding in Georgetown,” the Prime Minister told the Georgetown residents gathered at the meeting.
Better use of the drainage pumps and kokers across the city, he said, will be instrumental in averting this disaster.
Beyond solving these flooding woes, Dr. Jagdeo spoke in greater detail about the party’s plans for Georgetown. According to him, there are no plans to seize lands from residents and auction those off to big businesses.
Instead, he highlighted plans to rehabilitate or construct public spaces, build roads and walkways and install street lights. With these efforts, he believes the value of people’s property will automatically increase.
Beyond these efforts, Jagdeo urged Georgetown residents to capitalise on the construction of new highways, hotels and hospitals. He said it will allow the city and its residents to remain a dominant part of Guyana’s commercial landscape.
And he promised that with ongoing projects from the central government and the potential PPP/C leadership in the city council, Georgetown will boast of substantial development and business activity.
“South Georgetown is going to be the epicentre of change and development,” Jagdeo declared.
The PPP/C currently occupies the seat of government nationally but it has not been able to exercise a majority control over Georgetown before.
It is hoping to do so following the June 12 local polls.
If that happens, the PPP/C General Secretary said the local government candidates will have the full backing of the Irfaan Ali-led administration. That means whatever plans and programmes they have for their communities should be executed smoothly.
Already, one PPP/C candidate, Malcolm Ferreira outlined some of what he wants to do to help his Albouystown/ Charlestown constituency.
Ferreira told residents that a new meeting space, replete with an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub, will be developed. That space is expected to feature daycare and night care services too.
