The road surface in Fishing Pond could only be described as deplorable.
In Fishing Pond, one of the eight electoral districts that make up the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, the standard complaint by several residents was the poor road conditions. With the Local Government elections due on November 28, it is likely that roads could be hastily repaired or repaved to woo some residents.
On Thursday, workmen from the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and contractors were carrying out road works along the Fishing Pond main road. An excavator was digging a portion of the road while traffic came to a halt. Cars parked in driveways were covered with dust and for miles, the roadway was in a state of disrepair.
Apart from not having proper roads, residents complained of being neglected by their councillors for the last three years. Some of them were also unaware of the new candidates.
At the corporation’s last statutory meeting, PNM general secretary, Ashton Ford, introduced and congratulated Rajkumar Bhagaloo, a former UNC councillor for Cumuto/Tamana as the PNM candidate for the area.
Ford said: “He came in as UNC and leaving as PNM.” Bhagaloo was one of four councillors to switch allegiance. Ford said he was happy to welcome Bhagaloo in the PNM family and was confident that he would win. A T&T Sunday Guardian team visited several of the districts on Thursday and spoke with residents. While some people said they would be exercising their franchise, many were not prepared to do the same.
‘Have you seen my councillor?’
Babsie, a female vendor from Manzanilla, who was peeling chataigne, told the T&T Sunday Guardian she would not be voting because no one had done anything for her.
“I don’t get nothing, so me eh interested. Everybody does full their pockets. If you see the condition of North Manzanilla Road. We have a petition. The road is in a mess. There is a bridge after the pre-school coming up the road and it falling down years now. They just pass last month and patch up a few holes. Me eh voting for nobody.”
A 73-year-old pensioner, who gave her name as Mary, from Ojoe Road, said she did not know who her councillor was for the past three years and she was not interested.
She said: “You could see them? They not coming to fix nothing. You will vote if you are getting thing. When is a month or three weeks before voting you will see they reach in front of your door.”
But 65-year-old Doodnath of Railway Road, Guaico, said: “I must vote! Kamla must get back inside.”
Cobbler Glen Charles from Oropouche Road, was annoyed that he had not seen his councillor but said he would still vote.
The 57 year old, who has been plying his trade for over 30 years, called for a space for vendors.
“It is on the pavement and sidewalk we doing our thing. The councillor them don’t come around here. It come like we have nobody. They should come around and talk to we.”
His other concerns were overgrown grass on both sides of the road and clogged drains.
Ms Seemungal and her daughter, Kashie, from Smithland, Wallerfield, complained that their councillor was last seen three years ago while she was campaigning.
Ms Seemungal said: “I hope I will be voting once my name is on the list. Our councillor passed in the area when she was going up the last time, which was three years ago and she said she will fix our roads and she never came back.”
Her daughter, meanwhile, said the roads were in a poor state and emphasised it was a farming area.
A die-hard supporter of the UNC, Theodore Charles vowed that the party would return to full governance. Charles criticised the current council saying it had not performed at all.
Charles, from Foster Road, said: “Of course, I will be voting to get these people out of here. Watch the condition of the place! Watch the road. Two drops of rain and Sangre Grande flood.”
He claimed there was a lack of management “by whosoever in authority, they will know who they are.” Charles said there was too much unemployment and killings.
“We will deteriorate and collapse and then we will cannot get up,” he added.
Basdeo Persad, of Genda Road in Fishing Pond, complained of bad roads. He said he was still waiting to see who was his councillor.
Persad, 71, said he wanted better roads and explained that if there was an emergency and a sick person needed to get to the hospital in a rush, the road was a setback. He said they had paved up to a quarter mile of the road.
Manzanilla resident, Elias Remy said while he knew his councillor, his concern was roads.
A step backward
Owner of the popular First and Last bar in Manzanilla, Loy Henry, said there was no real development in the area. His family has operated from that spot since 1947.
While he will vote and knew his councillor, Henry said: “We need sidewalks, the roads need to be fixed but first of all, WASA needs to be fixed. WASA is the main contributing factor to the destruction of the roads.”
Clyde Wells, a retiree from Upper Sangre Grande, said he will exercise his franchise, but while he expressed his concerns over issues, he said many people “talk and do not take action.” He said they did not try to get matters addressed through the proper authorities.
Former chairman of the corporation Keshwar Maharaj, who operates a pharmacy in the heart of Sangre Grande, said he had left several unfinished projects which were in advanced stages.
Maharaj said under his chairmanship over 500 street lights were installed.
He said many recreation grounds and public cemeteries needed to be upgraded.
Maharaj said people still came to him for assistance with passport forms, NIS and old age pension.
Asked if the quality of life and conditions have improved, Maharaj said no.
“It has taken a step back.”
About the SGRC
The corporation covers an area of 898 square kilometres and according to its website, makes it the largest municipality by geographic area.
The municipality of Sangre Grande is subdivided into the following districts—Cumuto/Tamana, Manzanilla, Sangre Grande North East, Sangre Grande North West, Sangre Grande South, Toco/Fishing Pond, Valencia and Vega de Oropouche.
It also comprises 41 communities.
In the 2010 Local Government elections, the People’s Partnership won seven of the eight districts.
Terry Rondon, who is now the chairman of the corporation, was the lone representative for the People’s National Movement (PNM).
In 2013, however, the PNM regained control, winning five out of the eight. The United National Congress held on to three seats.
There were two PNM aldermen, one UNC alderman, and one Independent Liberal Party alderman.
The Elections and Boundaries Commission reported that in the 2013 Local Government elections, the PNM received 188,393 votes; the UNC 122,346, and the ILP 102,918. The Congress of the People (COP) received 32,496 votes.
Overall, the PNM won 85 of the 136 seats, the UNC-44, the ILP-three, and the COP-four.
FUNCTIONS
Some of the functions of municipal corporations include the construction and maintenance of all drains and water courses, except main water courses and highway water courses; the provision, maintenance, and control of parks, recreation grounds, beaches and other public spaces; the maintenance, control and enhancement of the physical environment including–monitoring water courses, beaches and water front areas, swamps, forests, game sanctuaries, savannahs, parks and other open spaces.
Corporations are also responsible for the disposal of garbage and the distribution of truck-borne water.