Stadium completed under $90 million

Mitchell made this disclosure as he responded to a matter on the adjournment of the House raised by Princes Town MP Barry Padarath.

After assuring Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George that he “will not shout” during his contribution, Mitchell said the Urban Development Corporation of TT (Udecott) had a $90 million budget to complete the works on the stadium.

Government MPs thumped their desks as Mitchell said, “I am very happy to report that it was done for less than $90 million.” He said this was a far cry from what happened under his predecessor, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal when the People’s Partnership (PP) was in office.

Mitchell said every time Moonilal reiterated the PP’s commitment to opening the stadium, “the price to complete went up.

The minister said that price went from $150,000 to $150 million to $185 million and, “it ended at $200 million and it (stadium) was not touched.” He said while Padarath alleged there has been flooding and other defects at the stadium, the facility was “flooded” with people when it was formally opened on May 12. He said 11,000 people attended the opening and some $750,000 in revenues were earned.

Noting that Padarath has been “trying to create fear and panic” in the population about the stadium, Mitchell declared that the stadium was successfully opened, “notwithstanding the mayhem that certain sections of the population tried to create.” On Padarath’s claims about defective welding at the stadium in the McCaffrey Report, Mitchell said McCaffrey himself was unsure of the information contained in his own report.

He questioned why Moonilal never told Padarath about the Arun Buch Report he had Udecott commission about the stadium in 2013. Mitchell said both Buch and MCCaffrey would have relied on the technical reports of Incor-Tech. “ Arun Buch not a welding inspector,” he said., Mitchell said the Arun Buch report said the stadium’s structures were approved as “fit for purpose.” He added that checks were done on the stadium prior to its opening and he was confident that all of the defects were remedied.

On Saturday, Udecott chairman Noel Garcia said a sewage leak at the stadium was fixed.

The leak occurred during the Courts Women T20 Grand Slam on Friday.