Minister: UNC using water for political agenda

PUBLIC Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales has called on the Opposition to stop using the issue of water as a means to furthering a political agenda.

The minister, in a press release issued on Sunday, said that rather than the the "now weekly rants" by the UNC, government expected them to work with it in order to deal with this national crisis.

He said that for years, many in the country have been wronged by people who see the water sector as a vehicle to pursue self-seeking agendas for self-enrichment. Almost the entire country is on a water schedule, the mininster said, despite the fact that all available reports confirm TT is water-rich.

To facilitate the necessary turn-around, he said, government levelled with the population and lasty week a Cabinet sub-committee report on WASA was laid in Parliament. This report identifies the myriad of problems in WASA and charts the way forward.

The report disclosed why, despite the expenditure of over $28 billion in a yen-year period, citizens continue to suffer for a daily supply of water.

The findings of this report were fact-based and not ad-hominem, Gonzales pointed out. It exposed the "scandalous state of affairs" in WASA and highlighted government's determination to resolve issues in this state utility.

Rather than say how it can help, the UNC chose to create mischief and resorted to scare tactics and conspiracy theories in order to confuse the people.

It is ironic, Gonzales said, that not too long ago, (UNC MP) Anil Ram was leading a protest in his own constituency calling for a reliable water supply yet now he choosing to speak in defence of the status quo at WASA, to the detriment of the people he represents in Parliament.

The minister assured that government will continue to fight to protect the citizen’s interests and do what is necessary for the collective good.

"It is clear that the future of this country cannot be placed in the hands of Anil Ram and Wade Mark. We cannot afford to return to the days of the Beetham Waste Water scandal or unsustainable desalination contracts...Heaven help us all, if this happens!"