Rao reveals UNC plot against Caroni workers

Speaking with Newsday six months after UNC Senator Wade Mark made the allegations against him during debate on the Caroni Land Vesting Bill in the Senate on April 5, Rao said this alleged plot has failed, and the EMBDC is well on course to delivering Caroni lands for agricultural, residential and commercial purposes over the next fiscal year.

According to Rao, the UNC made those allegations against him because they had failed to look after Caroni and its workers during their six years in power and were afraid that the PNM would do so through the EMBDC. Rao claimed that because the UNC could not touch him on his professional competence and capabilities, they decided to assassinate his character by portraying him as a womaniser or a dishonest person. He added the timing of the allegations occurred around the same time when many of the tender documents for the development of Caroni lands were being prepared and activity was set to take off.

Rao observed that the UNC has not raised this issue for the last six months and particularly during this month’s Budget debate in both Houses of Parliament. Reiterating there was no iota of truth to any of the UNC’s claims, Rao said he never engaged in any such behaviour since he arrived in Trinidad and Tobago in 1988 and had no reason to do so in his old age.

The EMBDC chairman said his family, especially his wife of the last 27 years, has supported him throughout the entire ordeal and when the truth is known "the liars fall apart." "I started with one wife. I will die with one wife," Rao stated.

The EMBDC chairman said any designs which the UNC may have had to prevent the company from delivering on the mandate given to it by Cabinet on August 9, 2002, have failed because agricultural and residential lands are now being delivered to former Caroni workers, and sites for strategic business units and commercial complexes are being developed. Rao added that EMBDC is hoping to "wave the flag of completion" on all development initiatives for Caroni lands by June 2007 and expects to make significant progress towards this goal in fiscal 2006.

Rao also dismissed UNC claims that he was a close friend of Prime Minister Patrick Manning, saying that Manning appointed him to his current post because of his professional competence and qualifications.

He said the crime situation would not derail the economy, and he said he knew that the Government was not shirking its responsibility when it came to dealing with crime.

Manning and National Security Minister Martin Joseph met yesterday with FBI director Robert Mueller at Whitehall to discuss new anti-crime strategies for local law enforcement agencies.