Corporation head: Diesel crisis in Penal/Debe

Chairman of the Penal/ Debe Regional Corporation (PDRC) chairman Dr Allen Sammy has urged the Government to release the annual budget allocation funds to buy diesel for the corporation’s vehicles.

Sammy, like other members of the UNC-controlled council, as well as Oropouche West MP Davendranath "Dave" Tancoo, claimed political victimisation and discrimination, adding burgesses are suffering owing to a lack of funding to serve them.

Sammy said, "Since the reading of the budget last year, the resources have been depleted to the point where there is no diesel available for trucks and other rolling stocks to go out to do their normal duties.

"The cesspits trucks cannot go out and clean cesspits, backhoes cannot go out and do work, the brush cutters cannot go out to cut grounds. We have one water truck and that too has been affected."

He said the problem also poses a health crisis because many watercourses have become stagnant, which can cause mosquito-borne diseases.

Sammy spoke to the media at the corporation’s sub-office near Debe Junction on Friday.

He said there are two allocations ($300,000 and $750,000) made in the budget to buy diesel, but the corporation has not received "a single cent" despite various appeals.

Sammy said he wrote to the Finance Minister on December 3 and the Prime Minister on January 12, "pointing out the crisis," but up to Friday, neither had responded.

"The problem has upset a lot of people and they are complaining. The 90,000 people in the Penal/Debe region are suffering because there will be no delivery of goods and services," Sammy said. "Some people are willing to pay for diesel to get their grounds cut. The Government is refusing to release the funds to us and they have not given any reasons why."

Councillor Krishna Persadsingh shared his view, adding that in a time of covid19, when people need open spaces now more than ever, they have to suffer.

Tancoo accused several government ministers of abandoning their duties.

"This whole budget exercise that they do every year is a sham, an attempt by the Finance Minister to fool the population," Tancoo said.

He charged that other corporations, like the Port of Spain City Corporation, have received money to do "fancy things."

With the by-election set for February 7 in the Debe South electoral district, a UNC stronghold, Tancoo said burgesses would send a message to the authorities.

Tancoo said they authorities "know that the people are going to push back against them, that the people are going to send a message that this kind of discrimination is unacceptable."

The seat became vacant when councillor Purushottam Singh died on February 14 last year.

Three people are contesting the seat — Khemraj Seecharan for the UNC, Judy Sookdeo for the PNM and Lorenzo Sammy for the Progressive Empowerment Party (PEP).