Work at the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation has slowed down near the end of the financial year as the recent suspension of four employees, currently before the court on corruption charges, has worsened manpower problems.
Speaking at yesterday’s statutory meeting, chairman Henry Awong said he asked Rural Development and Local Government Minister Franklin Khan to remedy their staff shortages as work on almost 15 outstanding projects had ground to a halt.
As a result estimates were still to be prepared, approvals have to be granted and funds were still to be allocated for the projects which many citizens were depending on, he added.
He said there was also a lack of experience as there were some members in new positions, including Charmaine Dookie, who is acting in place of the suspended CEO Carol Dyal, while Viveka Pargass has recently taken up the position as corporate secretary.
He said a Road Officer II, who was heading the Technical Department, recently said he did not have the knowledge or ability to continue in his acting role.
Awong added: “This corporation is severely handicapped going forward at a critical time in the year when we are coming to the end of the financial year, when we have to look at how we are spending funds and how we need to balance our budget.
“That was expressed to the minister yesterday and he indicated to the permanent secretary to do all in her power to ensure that the relevant manpower be given to this corporation.
“All those things came about because it is public knowledge that four key persons in this corporation were charged on some matters that is before the court. That I will not go into. Based on that, I have expressed that these positions be filled.”
On August 8, Dyal, county superintendent Maniram Mohess, engineer Barry Samaroo and checker Ian Gokool appeared before Port-of-Spain Magistrate Christine Charles charged with conspiring to defraud the corporation of $149,500.
The charges relate to a contract awarded for the installation of outdoor exercise equipment at the San Pablo Recreation Ground and the Todd’s Road Activity Centre. Businessman Mahase Sookai is also an accused in the matter.
Independent Liberal Party (ILP) alderman, Beeran Rambaran, raised a motion yesterday, requesting that permanent secretary Desdra Bascombe appoint a quantity surveyor to verify the material being used on projects in which the corporation is engaged.
Rambaran said based on his research, he believed some projects were being overpriced and documents were being padded.
He said the costing alone for the Tabaquite Promenade was $1 million and when lumped with other projects, there was $2 million in questionable projects.
Fellow ILP alderman, Sunil Ramjitsingh, seconded the motion, questioning whether there was value for money in these projects. He questioned whether the amount of resources allocated for the project reconciled with what was required or being used.