UNC MP accuses PNM of 'geographic discrimination'

UNC Oropouche West MP Dave Tancoo on Saturday accused the PNM of discriminating against people based on their geographic location in Trinidad and Tobago. Tancoo made his action when he participated in a protest in Timital, San Francique. Also involved in the protest were Fyzabad MP Dr Lackram Bodoe and UNC councillor Doodnath Mayhroo.

Bodoe explained the road where the landslip occurred over the last 48 hours is a main artery between Fyzabad and Oropouche West. He expressed concern about further deterioration of the road and about a lack of response from Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to his letters for the road to be repaired.

After saying he could not exactly remember what Sinanan said about repairs to infrastructure during the recent Standing Finance Committee of the House, Tancoo said, "Except that he said that this area and these landslips are not important enough.

He claimed, "That is what the minister is telling citizens of this country who are taxpayers." Tancoo said that instead of fixing these roads, Sinanan " is busy building highways in the east."

He alleged that Sinanan was depending on ordinary citizens to patch roads. "While they fight us down and they deceive democracy in the Parliament, they cannot do that outside here because the voice of the people is the voice of God."

Tancoo claimed that if Sinanan and Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein lived in this area, the roads would be repaired quickly. "This is geographic discrimination.The government of this country is discriminating against constituencies like this. This government hates the south but we are taxpayers too. This must stop now."

Mayhroo agreed with Bodoe and Tancoo. He called for Sinanan to resign if the road and other infrastructural problems in the area were not fixed in two weeks.

In separate protests in Couva North and Cumuto/Manzanilla, respective MPs Ravi Ratiram and Dr Rai Ragbir highlighted other infrastructural problems in their areas.