NLCB must level playing field

THE EDITOR: In his 1962 Independence address, the late PM Dr Williams gave the national community the solemn undertaking that Mother TT would not and could not discriminate among its cosmopolitanism.

Mother TT is not the 2000 square miles of inanimate land and its accompanying ocean space but in fact speaks through the government and its agencies. Those of us traditionally resident in rural TT, who survived in spite of Dr Williams’ regime of ethno-nationalism also called the policy of cultural assimilation, have learnt not to be deceived anymore by political niceties. Furthermore, when PM Manning in his Indian Day Arrival address at the Divali Nagar (Newsday June 1, p 6) said that TT was one big family having previously declared himself the Father of the Nation (family) and was joined earlier this year by his wife Hazel as the Mother of the Nation they may not understand the extent to which these posturings raise national expectations on equity, (Mr Manning is on record as saying that it does not mean equality), justice and fair-play.

Twenty-first century and alert TT will not fall easy prey to vacuous high-sounding ideals but expect the people to walk the talk. These prefatory remarks serve as a backdrop to assess the response of the Lottery Control Board (NLCB) on accusations of discrimination in the manner of the disbursement of funds voiced by Sat Maharaj of the Maha Sabha. The Board feels that it is sufficient merely to issue a vacuous press release (Newsday June 6, p 8) denying those charges instead of doing the transparent, honest, credible and accountable thing of using its enormous advertising budget to publish in the press the full list of beneficiaries of the disbursement of the largesse of the public purse. Instead it urges Mr Maharaj to obtain the correct information. From whom may I ask?

Let the public who support the lottery judge whether there is evidence of equityor discrimination based on geography, ethnicity, creed or political patronage in the allocation of the Board’s assistance to beneficiary organisations. Today is not PoS-centric 1961 TT. Trinbagon-ians have learnt that equity and justice are not dispensed by an invisible blindfolded hand but is the result of eternal vigilance, activism and assertiveness. The politically-appointed Lottery Board cannot be perceived to be acting in a discriminatory manner in the disbursement of the public purse. Neither should its modus operandi or its criteria for allocating public funds be shrouded in secrecy, arbitrariness and friendship. In accordance with The Freedom of Information Act the NLCB’s operations as well as the procedures for accessing information on its operations must be in the public domain. The Board is under an obligation to establish a level playing field where everyone knows the modalities/priorities for accessing funding.

Do the people in Cacandee, Poole, Biche, Caroni etc know how? For the Board to exclude from its largesse deserving charitable organisations operating in the above-mentioned areas because they do not write it, is a consequence of discriminatory reason. The drawing of its lottery on Wednes-days/Saturdays must also be subject to public scrutiny as is done in many other countries. Who can tell me without fear of contradiction that these TV drawings are nor pre-recorded with its potential for graft and corruption? The named auditors cannot be termed independent as they are paid by the NLCB. The NLCB must walk the talk and know its constituency.

STEPHEN KANGAL
Caroni