The United National Congress (UNC) internal elections may be over but the rivalry between slates which supported Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her contender, Dr Roodal Moonilal, may not be.
UNC Chaguanas deputy mayor Debideen Manick says politics may be behind a protest staged by a group of residents on Cacandee Road, Felicity, over a drain.
Dhanraj “Balkie” Balkaran, who said he was a UNC activist in Felicity, said he organised a group of about 20 people to protest in front of Manick’s house on Cacandee Road.
“Balkie” said Moonilal was his friend.
Manick lives in the area and is also a councillor for the district. The Chaguanas Borough Corporation had publicly pledged its support for Persad-Bissessar in the run-up to the party’s December 5 internal elections.
“Balkie” said they changed their minds and protested instead at the site of the drain in question on Balkie Drive. According to “Balkie”, the drain was the reason for the protest.
He said the drain which the Chaguanas Borough Corporation had neglected was overgrown with bush and water from it could not run out.
“When rain falls, the water backs up and floods the area,” he added.
“Balkie”, a truck driver with the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, said: “I lost one acre of cassava and my neighbour, Fazal Rampersad, lost half an acre of peas, ochro and spinach.
“Plus, caimans and snakes come in my yard from the drain. I have small grandchildren... not to mention the mosquitoes.”
“Balkie” said the drain problem began six months ago and Manick and shadow MP, Ganga Singh, promised to get it cleaned.
“Manick has only been telling me next week, next week but to date nothing has been done,” he added.
“Balkie” said if Manick did not want to do his job he should resign because there were people waiting to do it.
Asked what about Avinash Singh, PNM parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, who also lives in Felicity, he said:
“He does only help PNM people outside the area. We went to see him but he was not there and has not returned our call.”
Manick, when contacted by the T&T Guardian, was flabbergasted. “That is totally inaccurate. That man has a political agenda,” he said.
Noting he was the one who built a box drain in front “Balkie’s” house, he said a complaint about the other drain was lodged at the corporation and it did clean it earlier this year.
“The problem is that the corporation has only one backhoe and one excavator and we have the whole borough to deal with, not just one drain in Felicity. That drain is on agricultural land,” he added.
Manick, a former national cricket coach and schoolteacher, said the corporation despatched an investigative team to check out the drain yesterday morning.
UNC Chaguanas deputy mayor Debideen Manick says politics may be behind a protest staged by a group of residents on Cacandee Road, Felicity, over a drain.
Dhanraj “Balkie” Balkaran, who said he was a UNC activist in Felicity, said he organised a group of about 20 people to protest in front of Manick’s house on Cacandee Road.
“Balkie” said Moonilal was his friend.
Manick lives in the area and is also a councillor for the district. The Chaguanas Borough Corporation had publicly pledged its support for Persad-Bissessar in the run-up to the party’s December 5 internal elections.
“Balkie” said they changed their minds and protested instead at the site of the drain in question on Balkie Drive. According to “Balkie”, the drain was the reason for the protest.
He said the drain which the Chaguanas Borough Corporation had neglected was overgrown with bush and water from it could not run out.
“When rain falls, the water backs up and floods the area,” he added.
“Balkie”, a truck driver with the Chaguanas Borough Corporation, said: “I lost one acre of cassava and my neighbour, Fazal Rampersad, lost half an acre of peas, ochro and spinach.
“Plus, caimans and snakes come in my yard from the drain. I have small grandchildren... not to mention the mosquitoes.”
“Balkie” said the drain problem began six months ago and Manick and shadow MP, Ganga Singh, promised to get it cleaned.
“Manick has only been telling me next week, next week but to date nothing has been done,” he added.
“Balkie” said if Manick did not want to do his job he should resign because there were people waiting to do it.
Asked what about Avinash Singh, PNM parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, who also lives in Felicity, he said:
“He does only help PNM people outside the area. We went to see him but he was not there and has not returned our call.”
Manick, when contacted by the T&T Guardian, was flabbergasted. “That is totally inaccurate. That man has a political agenda,” he said.
Noting he was the one who built a box drain in front “Balkie’s” house, he said a complaint about the other drain was lodged at the corporation and it did clean it earlier this year.
“The problem is that the corporation has only one backhoe and one excavator and we have the whole borough to deal with, not just one drain in Felicity. That drain is on agricultural land,” he added.
Manick, a former national cricket coach and schoolteacher, said the corporation despatched an investigative team to check out the drain yesterday morning.