Moonilal: No race in my flood comments

Dr Roodal Moonilal  - Lincoln Holder
Dr Roodal Moonilal - Lincoln Holder

OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said there was no race in his comments comparing Government's response to flooding in Penal/Debe to the response to Greenvale, La Horquetta.

"I have taken note of the statement of the Prime Minister and I find it astonishing that in the aftermath of every crisis the Prime Minister is the only one who hears a dog whistle. Nobody here is dog whistling on race or any other matter apart from the Prime Minister."

He continued: "The matter here has absolutely nothing to do with race at all and I am always astonished that the Prime Minister would jump to that conclusion. The Prime Minister responds in a more rapid way to the MP's statement than the Prime Minister responded to the flood victims."

He was responding to comments by Dr Rowley at the post-Cabinet media briefing on Thursday that those comparing the two responses were "race-baiting."

Moonilal told Newsday in an interview, that the Prime Minister has not visited any flood victims or sent out ministers to make any enquiry or extend compassion or empathy.

However, at the media conference, Rowley said Works Minister Rohan Sinanan and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein visited with their teams after the flooding.

Moonilal replied: "The ministries and the ministers were never seen."

He complimented the mosques, temples and churches and concerned citizens and foundations who prepared hot meals, water, cleaning items and so on.

"In the first 72 hours of this crisis the Government was literally missing, and that speaks volumes."

Hosein told Newsday all agencies were on the ground, including the Defence Force, Coast Guard, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management, the regional corporations, the disaster management unit and T&TEC. He also said CEPEP did cleaning and the ministry received funding for household items, hampers with hot food and mattresses.

"The Government helped the people."

Sinanan told Newsday Moonilal's claims Government was missing were untrue. He recalled flooding started on Thursday and said he was on the ground on Friday morning.

"However, our focus is not to waste time on what Moonilal thinks or said. Our focus is to ensure that relief is discharged to the affected areas. Government agencies have been on the ground, all emergency responses were activated and we are doing what has to be done.

"I know flooding politics works for the UNC. However, now is not the time for petty politics."

Moonilal also said the issues raised were fundamental issues, including the high level of bureaucracy involved. He said more than 1,000 homes had been destroyed by the floods and people have to go into the Social Development Ministry and regional corporation office to fill out forms.

He said in Greenvale there were online forms and people were assessed quickly.

Social Development Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn told Newsday the ministry did not use an online assessment form to assess the October and November 2018 food victims, which included the Greenvale community.

Moonilal also said he received reports that Social Development Ministry is telling flood victims the forms used by the disaster management unit are flawed and a second assessment has to be done. He also said officials are asking to see property damage, furniture and appliances.

"People have long cleaned up and thrown away all the damaged furniture and appliances and so on. So there is excessive bureaucracy involved, there are multiple assessments and very little compensation.

"And those are the issues we raised in the context of equity. They have absolutely nothing to do with race and I am shocked that the Prime Minister would jump to that conclusion."

Crichlow-Cockburn said the disaster management units are doing the assessments and passing the information to the ministry.

At Thursday's post-Cabinet media conference, Rowley said the sum for short-term, immediate relief at Greenvale was $20,954.28 compared to $1 million for Penal/Debe and $500,000 each for Princes Town and Mayaro.

Moonilal said $1 million was a "paltry sum" for over 800 households, but Newsday pointed out the original release said this was for short-term relief through the regional corporations, and Rowley reiterated that the figure did not account for household compensation or other grants.

Moonilal replied: "Well. I am hoping that it will have more relief long-term.

"But I can assure that the people are frustrated, they are now the subject of multiple assessments.

"There is no relief on the horizon. People will get absolutely no relief by Christmas or New Year's."

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